The Fight for the Child
by FictionWriter91
Summary: AU. Rebecca never told Booth she was pregnant, and a tragedy after Parker's birth places the boy in foster care. Soon after Brennan becomes a foster parent, she is brought a scared Parker. When a body is found, Booth discovers what Rebecca had hidden from him, and nothing will stop him until he finds his child. But what happens when he learns Brennan is trying to adopt his son?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all! We are back with another story, and we hope you will enjoy it. This won't interrupt updates for our other story, but they won't be weekly updates for right now. That being said, I Love Kol Miakelson and FictionWriter91 present The Fight for the Child.**

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 **2000**

Rebecca gripped the side of the toilet as she hurled her lunch into it. She breathed in deep after, smoothing her hair back. She flushed and sat back, leaning against the wall.

"This can't be happening," she murmured. She tried to think back to when she had last had her period. It had been too long, and she knew it. She closed her eyes, pressing the palms of her hands against them. She couldn't be pregnant. She just couldn't. She wasn't ready. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't tell Booth. He was still recovering from Teddy's death, and he was in transition from leaving the military and starting school to become an FBI agent. He didn't need this pressure or stress. Rebecca got to her feet slowly and looked in the mirror. She didn't know if she could handle the pressure or the stress.

"Breathe, Rebecca," she told herself. "Just breathe." It was time for a pregnancy test.

 **Later That Day**

"You okay in there?" Booth's voice came through the door. Rebecca sat on the toilet and stared at the pregnancy test in her hand. It was definitely positive. She was having a baby.

"I'm...fine," she answered. When he opened the door, she tucked the test away and out of sight.

"You don't look fine," he said, giving her a concerned look.

"Stomach flu," she shrugged, standing up. He looked puzzled as she pushed past him. He followed her to the kitchen where she poured herself some water.

"Is there something you want to tell me?" he asked.

"Actually, yes," she said, setting down her glass. Her heart started to pound. It was the moment she had dreaded.

"What is it?" he pressed.

"I think we should break up," she said quietly. The silence in the room was deafening. Booth stared at her, disbelieving.

"What?" he asked.

"We should break up," she repeated.

"I don't understand," he said. "I thought we were good."

"I just think we should see other people. We've run our course," she added.

"Is it because of what's happened lately? I know I haven't been myself..." he started. She held up her hand.

"No. It's me. I'm just busy with law school, and I know you're going to be busy with your school, and I just think we should go our separate ways."

"Is it something I did?" he asked, looking upset. Rebecca felt her heart twist a little. She didn't like to hurt him, but this was for the best. He shouldn't be held down with a child. He had potential.

"No," she shook her head.

"I...I don't get it," he said.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. He stood there staring at her until she turned her back on him. "Please just go."

"Bec..."

"Go!" she shouted. She heard him breathe in and out, and then he walked away. Letting him go was the hardest thing she'd ever done.

 **2001**

Rebecca cried out as the cramps hit her. She growled and groaned through it, gripping the countertop. This was it. Baby time. She hobbled to her room to grab her overnight bag. Then she got into her car and drove to the hospital. The nurse checked her in, and she got put into a room where she would wait for full dilation.

"How are you?" a nurse asked, coming in to check on her.

"Tired. In pain. Scared," Rebecca said, smiling a little.

"Is anyone coming to be with you?"

"No," Rebecca shook her head. She was doing this alone.

...

Hours later, Rebecca was holding her son. She was crying a little as she looked at him. He had Booth's eyes.

"Hi, Parker," she whispered. She had liked Teddy too, and she knew Booth would have wanted their son to honor his memory. Parker looked up at her, and a faint smile touched his lips.

"Oh, you're so beautiful," she said, touching his cheek. After a while, she grew tired, and the nurse took Parker down to the nursery. Rebecca fell asleep thinking about Booth and how much he would have loved to be here.

...

Rebecca woke up to commotion in the hallway. She sat up groggily, wondering what was going on. After a minute, a doctor came into her room. He looked scared.

"Hi, Miss Stinson," he said. "I...I have some bad news."

"What's happened?" she asked, fully alert now.

"Your baby has been stolen," he told her.

"WHAT?!"

"The police are here," the doctor said quickly. "They are going to talk to you. They will find your baby."

"How did this happen?! How could you lose him?!" she shrieked. Two officers came in just then.

"Hello," the female started.

"FIND MY BABY!" Rebecca screamed.

"Okay, calm down," the male officer said, holding out his hand. "We just have to ask you a few questions before we start the search."

"Hurry up!" Rebecca cried. She struggled to get out of bed.

"Hang on," the doctor said, stopping her. "You had a difficult labor. You need to rest."

"How am I supposed to rest when my baby has been stolen?" Rebecca demanded.

"Did you notice any suspicious activity around your baby?" the female officer cut her off. "Was anyone paying too much attention to him?"

"I don't know! I had just pushed a baby out of my body! Everyone was paying attention to him," Rebecca said. "They took him to the nursery, and I fell asleep. Ask the nurses!"

"Okay, okay," the female officer said. "Thank you for your time."

Rebecca started to sob as they left. Her baby was gone. She was in so much shock she could barely breathe.

 **Two Hours Later**

Rebecca sat on the edge of the hospital bed thinking about Parker when the police came back. She looked up to see a smiling female officer holding a bundle in her arms. She gasped.

"You found him?!"

"We did," the officer nodded. "We caught the lady. She was your nurse. Turns out she can't have children and decided to take yours."

"Oh my God," Rebecca said, covering her face. Her eyes were still on the bundle. She reached for him.

"Here," the female officer said, handing over Parker. Rebecca held him tightly. "I'm so glad this was a happy ending."

"Thank you," Rebecca whispered. Her baby was safe and sound.

 **6 Months Later**

Rebecca was pushing the stroller as she walked, humming to herself. It was a beautiful day, and she was enjoying the outdoors. Parker was making all kinds of noises in the stroller, and she laughed. She couldn't wait to hear him say "mama" soon. He was trying already. Suddenly, she was grabbed from behind. She screamed, only to be silenced.

"Think you can get my wife put in jail and not have consequences?" a male voice hissed. Rebecca twisted, trying to get away, but it was fruitless. The last thing she saw was her baby screaming in the stroller, reaching for her with his small hands.

 **2006**

"Please, Tempe? It would mean so much to me," Russ said, looking at her. Temperance Brennan stared at her brother. He had just asked her to register as a foster parent.

"Why is it so important to you?"

"Because I would want you to look after my girls if something happened to me, and you'd be the best person because you know what it's like to be..."

"Stop," Brennan ordered, glowering at him. "It's because of you that I was in the system to start with."

"How many times can I say sorry for that?" Russ asked.

"Not enough," she answered.

"Can you do it? For the girls?" he pressed, changing the subject.

"I'll think about it," Brennan sighed. In her heart, though, she already knew she would.

 **A Few Months Later**

Brennan waited for the car to arrive with her first foster child. She was feeling anxious about it, and she wasn't sure why. When the knock came on her door, she adjusted her shirt and took a few deep breaths before answering it. She smiled brightly when she pulled the door open.

"Hi," she smiled. She saw a woman and a small five year old boy standing before her.

"Hello, Dr. Brennan," the woman smiled back. "This is Parker."

"Hi, Parker," Brennan said to him. He didn't respond. He looked sad. Brennan knew the feeling. "Please, come in." She moved to let them pass, and she saw Parker eyeing up her apartment cautiously. He sat on the couch while Brennan and the social worker talked.

"This is his tenth home," the woman, Jessica, was saying.

"Why so many?" Brennan asked.

"We don't know. At first it just wasn't a fit, but every home seemed to reject him. I don't know why."

"He's probably been testing them," Brennan reasoned. "To see if they really want him."

"Well, then be on the look out for that," Jessica laughed nervously.

"I think we'll be fine," Brennan replied, looking at Parker, who was looking back at her.

"Just sign these, and we're good to go," Jessica said, sliding the paperwork over. Brennan scribbled her name and handed them back.

"Bye, Parker," Jessica waved. "Be a good boy."

"Bye," he replied. He didn't comment on the other part. Once she was gone, Brennan looked at Parker.

"Do you want to see your room?" she asked. He nodded. She led the way, and he followed carefully. She heard him inhale sharply when they got to his room.

"I didn't know what you liked," she told him. "I assumed you liked action figures, but if there's anything you want, please tell me." Parker picked up the toy, his eyes full of wonder.

"This is for me?" he asked, looking at her for confirmation.

"I can get you anything you want," she smiled. "That's not a problem for me."

Parker stood there looking shocked. Brennan wondered if anyone had shown him this much kindness before.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

"I will let you get acquainted to your new space," Brennan said. "Dinner is in an hour. I hope you like pizza."

"I love pizza," Parker replied.

"Good," Brennan smiled. "Then I think we'll get along just fine." He gave a hint of a smile before she turned to leave. Brennan had a good feeling about this boy, but only time would tell for sure.

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 **What did you think? Should we continue? If you have time to leave a review, we would greatly appreciate it :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**We were so glad to see so much interest in this story! We hope you continue to enjoy it. Even though the story is AU, we are going to follow some of the events/cases from canon to help it along. Happy reading!**

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Seeley Booth was impatiently tapping his fingers on the countertop at the local diner when Brennan finally showed up.

"There you are," he said as she sat. "What took you so long?"

"I got a foster child last night. I was getting him settled at his new school."

"Since when do you foster kids?" Booth asked, frowning.

"Since six months ago," Brennan answered.

"I didn't know that was your thing."

"You never asked," Brennan retorted. She ordered a coffee while Booth stared at her. His phone rang, and he looked away while answering it.

"Booth."

Brennan thought about Parker. He had been reluctant to go to school that morning, but she tried to assure him that he'd be safe there. It was a private school after all. She wanted the best for him even though he wasn't her child. With her credentials and fame, it had been a piece of cake getting him enrolled.

"Okay. We'll be right there," Booth said, hanging up. "We got a body."

"All right. Lead the way," Brennan responded, gesturing.

...

"Body is female," Brennan said, examining it. "Early thirties by the look of it. Trauma to the skull." Booth stood taking notes while Brennan searched for more obvious markers. They were standing by a riverbank. A fisherman had found the body floating in a net. It had appeared the body had been sunk in the river for quiet some time. The rocks had finally let go, forcing the body to surface.

"Take it to the lab?" Booth asked.

"Yes," Brennan nodded. He put his notebook away. He averted his gaze from the body. Sometimes he just couldn't stomach a corpse.

...

"Ugh," Angela moaned, standing off to the side while Brennan examined the remains with Zack. Hodgins was digging and rooting around for particulates. Angela was going to do a sketch of the victim, but she was having a hard time stomaching the remains before her.

"You can always go to Paris," Cam said, smirking. Angela didn't comment and started to work.

"Lots of defensive wounds here," Brennan noted.

"Looks like she was restrained," Zack added, looking up from the ankles. Brennan saw the same restraint marks on the wrists too. She felt bad for this woman, who probably experienced a lot of terror before dying.

"Ohh hello," Hodgins said, holding up a slimy looking bug.

"Ew," Angela winced.

"Don't say 'ew.' This little guy is gonna help us determine how long the body was under the water," Hodgins said defensively.

"Still...ew," Angela said, moving away. Brennan hid her smile. She knew her friend was never going to get used to this job. She was surprised Angela hadn't left yet to be honest.

"What have we got?" Booth asked, coming up the platform. No one caught the look exchanged between him and Cam. It was still a secret that they were seeing each other.

"No cause of death yet," Brennan said, not looking up. "Angela is going to reconstruct the face soon."

"I'd say the wound to the skull is a big indicator of cause of death," Booth observed.

"We don't assume until we get all the facts," Brennan said sharply. He rolled his eyes.

"I'm working on the timeline the body was trapped under water," Hodgins said helpfully. Booth ignored him.

"So still really nothing then?" Booth asked.

"It takes time, Booth," Brennan huffed, finally looking at him. "Don't rush us."

"Well it's just, you know, I like to find out who it is so I can tell their loved ones," Booth retorted.

"Soon," she repeated, going back to work. Booth made a face at her. Even though they had been working together for almost a year, Booth still struggled to understand her sometimes.

...

Brennan was rubbing the water off her face when her phone rang. She answered, seeing that it was the school.

"Brennan."

"Hi, Dr. Brennan. It's Cindy calling. Parker's teacher."

"Is there something wrong?"

"Parker is just having some issues settling into the routine. He's quite upset. We were wondering if you could come and check in."

"I'll be there in ten minutes," Brennan answered. She hurried out of the bathroom and went for her car keys.

"I have the face," Angela said as she passed by.

"I'll be back in half an hour. Parker needs me," Brennan said.

"Your new foster child?" Angela asked, following her to her office.

"Yes."

"Oh no. I hope he's okay."

"I think he's just having difficulty adjusting," Brennan replied, throwing her coat on. "Be back soon."

"I'll be here," Angela replied.

...

"Where is he?" Brennan asked as soon as she got into the school. Cindy waved her over.

"He's sitting in the corner," she explained. "He said something about he 'did wrong' and has to punish himself."

"I'll talk to him," Brennan nodded, going over to where Parker was sitting. She squatted down beside him.

"Hey," she said.

"You came," he replied, looking at her.

"I did. What's wrong?"

"I messed up on my spelling."

"I'm sure it wasn't that bad."

"It was bad enough."

"Is that why you're in the corner?"

"Yes."

"Did your teacher tell you to sit here?"

"No."

"Then why did you decide to?"

"Because. At my last home, if I made a mistake on schoolwork, I had to sit and face the corner and think about what I did wrong."

"Parker, you're in school. You're learning. It's okay to make mistakes," Brennan encouraged. He shook his head.

"I will get spanked if I don't."

"Parker, you are not with that family anymore. You're with me. I will never lay a hand on you," she promised. She coaxed him off the chair and into her arms for a hug.

"You promise?" he asked, muffled by her shirt.

"I promise."

He looked up at her then.

"I can go back to my seat now?"

"Of course. Parker, I will tell you right now that you do not need to punish yourself for something you made a mistake on."

"I agree with this," Cindy said, overhearing. Parker looked at her, and she nodded.

"The only time you get punishment is if you did something really wrong, okay? Like hitting another student or cheating or something," Brennan explained. "And even then, it will never be physical punishment."

"Okay," Parker nodded. He went back to his desk, and Brennan felt her heart break watching him. How much abuse and trauma had he experienced in his other homes? It worried her.

...

"Where were you?" Booth demanded when she finally got back to the lab. He was next to Cam and Angela in her office.

"At Parker's school."

"Oh."

"Are we finally ready for the face?" Angela asked, exasperated.

"Sure, Ange. Show us," Brennan nodded. Angela pulled out her sketch and propped it on the easel. Booth stared at it, shocked.

"That's wrong," he said instantly. Angela snorted.

"Sweetie, have you not learned by now that I am never wrong with my drawings?" she asked.

"No, you're definitely wrong," Booth said firmly. Cam gave him a concerned look, but he ignored it.

"Is it someone you know?" Cam asked.

He didn't answer. Instead, he turned and left the room.

"I'll take that as a yes," Angela commented. "I wonder who she is."

"I'll find out," Brennan said, going to follow him. He was gone from the building, though, when she tried to find him. She knew he'd come to her when the time was right. She'd give him his space.

...

Booth's hands were shaking as he drove. He felt sick. The eyes of that drawing were trapped in his mind. The last time he'd seen them, it had been over six years ago. How had she ended up like that? She didn't deserve to die like that. He pounded the palm of his hand on the wheel, shouting in anger. He was going to make this right. He would find whoever did this to her. He would avenge his ex-girlfriend, Rebecca Stinson, if it was the last thing he'd do.

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 **Stay tuned for when Booth learns about Rebecca having his baby in our next chapter. If you have time to leave a review, we would greatly appreciate it :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**We know some of you aren't too thrilled with Cam and Booth dating, but we are kind of following canon a little bit and will be using some cases from season 2, so we wanted to put that relationship in. We are die hard Booth & Brennan, so don't worry ;)**

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Brennan tidied up after dinner, but her mind wasn't really there. Parker was amusing himself with some Lego, and she watched absently. Parker was familiar to her, but she didn't know how that would be possible. She smiled when he started talking to himself as he played. Then her mind went to Booth. He had gone AWOL after seeing Angela's drawing, and he wasn't answering his phone. The woman must have been someone important to him. Brennan wondered in what capacity.

"Can I help?" Parker asked, startling her out of thoughts. Brennan saw he was pointing to the towel in her hands.

"Oh, it's okay. The dishwasher does the work," she explained.

"I don't mind," Parker said.

"You're sweet," Brennan smiled, "but it's okay. I'll let you know if you can help with something."

"Okay," he said. He still looked unsure. Brennan had a feeling it had something to do with his last placement. When she didn't do or say anything else, he turned and went back to his toys. Her phone rang then.

"Brennan."

"Hey, have you heard from Booth at all?" Angela asked. "I'm kind of worried."

"I'm sure he's off processing," she answered. "I can relate." She could. Not that long ago, she had accused Angela of being wrong about her mother's drawing too. It was a shock to see a loved one on display under the definition of "deceased."

"I hope he doesn't do anything crazy," Angela sighed.

"He won't."

"People do things when their emotions are scattered."

"I'll let you know if I hear from him," Brennan finished, hanging up. She didn't want to get into emotions with Angela. She preferred to stay out of the emotion range. She looked over at Parker again. However, things did change.

...

Booth had to call his sponsor twice that night. The urge to go gamble was huge, and his emotions were running rampant. He kept thinking about Rebecca and how this happened. She hadn't been involved in a sketchy crowd that he knew of. She wasn't involved in anything illegal. She was going to be a lawyer. How had this happened? More importantly, who had done it to her? He wanted to kill them. Rebecca didn't deserve to die like that. He ignored his ringing phone again. This time it was Cam calling. He couldn't talk to her. He couldn't tell her who Rebecca was. Not yet. Their relationship was still semi new, and he didn't want to make it weird. He didn't even know how long they'd stay a couple anyway. He wandered the streets, not knowing where to go or what to do. He knew he had to face reality eventually.

...

Brennan heard the knocking while brushing her teeth. Parker was already down for the night. She spit and wiped her face before going to answer. She pulled open the door to see Booth standing there looking beaten down.

"Hey," he said. "I know it's late..."

"Are you okay?" she asked, cutting him off. "We've all been worried."

"Really?" he asked. "Even you?"

"I'm not as hardened as you might think," Brennan replied, moving aside to let him in. Booth walked over to the couch and sat down. He rested his head in his hands.

"Who was she?" Brennan asked softly. He breathed in a few times before answering.

"Rebecca Stinson. I...I dated her."

"Oh."

"She broke up with me out of the blue six years ago. It was one of the hardest things I experienced."

"You feel that if you had been together, this wouldn't have happened," Brennan noted.

"Thank you for putting that in my head," Booth growled.

"Sorry."

"Can we talk about something else for a bit? I'm tired of thinking about this."

"Okay."

"How's the foster kid?" Booth asked.

"Parker is good. I think he's experienced trauma, though."

"Really?" Booth asked, wincing. "What makes you think that?"

"The way he reacts to some things, and the way he looks at me sometimes. I feel like he is surveying me to see if I'll hurt him or if I'm lying to him to trick him."

"That's too bad."

"I hope that with enough time, he'll see that I'm a safe person."

"I'm sure he will, Bones."

Brennan smiled at him then.

"You want something to drink?"

"No, I'm good. I have to stay sober for this one."

"I'll confirm cause of death tomorrow and the time frame."

"I have to tell her parents," Booth lamented. "They are going to be so devastated."

Brennan didn't know how to respond to this. She wasn't good in that department. Not really anyway. Parker's sudden scream made them both jump. Brennan bolted up and raced down to his room. Booth hurried behind her, one hand on his gun. He hung back when he saw there was no intruder, and Brennan went over to Parker, who was thrashing and yelling under the sheets.

"HELP ME!" he shrieked. "HELP ME!"

"Parker," Brennan said, shaking him. "Parker!" His eyes flew open, but it was as though he couldn't see her or recognize her. Brennan could feel him soaked in sweat, and he was now staring into space.

"Is he okay?" Booth asked, concerned.

"It's a night terror," Brennan answered.

"That sounds...scary," Booth finished.

"They're different from nightmares. They mostly affect children."

"Will he be okay?"

"Yes. He is non-responsive right now, but he'll be okay."

Booth watched as Brennan cuddled Parker into him and starting singing to him. He didn't recognize the song. He was surprised at how intimate the situation felt, and he backed away. Seeing Brennan like that showed that she was a different person than he originally pegged her to be. Seeing this side of her meant she was indeed not as hardened as he thought.

 **The Next Day**

Brennan snapped her gloves on and stood beside Zack. Booth had left before she finished taking care of Parker, and she felt nervous to see him again. She wasn't sure why.

"Cause of death is strangulation," Zack told her, gesturing.

"How long ago?"

"Roughly five years ago," Hodgins answered, coming up the stairs after swiping his card. He had overheard her question. A small thought went through Brennan's head that Parker was five years old going on six. She let it go. There was no way he was involved in this.

"There's one more thing," Zack went on. "Evidence shows that she gave birth."

Brennan swallowed at this. How had she missed that? It made her think of Parker again, and she shook it out. She looked down at the pelvis area and indeed saw there was evidence there confirm it.

"Booth's gonna freak," Hodgins commented.

"Why?" Brennan asked.

"Because. If she means that much to him, knowing that she had a baby too will really hurt him."

Brennan chewed on her lip for a moment.

"I'll tell him," she said, taking off her gloves. He was at his office. She'd talk to him there.

...

"You're sure you're okay?" Cam asked. She was standing in front of Booth's desk.

"I will be," he answered. "Once I get who did this to her."

"I'm sorry," she said. He waved his hand.

"Don't be."

"Was she...special?"

And there it was. Booth knew he couldn't avoid it as much as he wanted to, so he caved. She'd find out eventually. He had told Brennan after all, which had surprised him. Why tell her before Cam, the person he's dating? He felt confused.

"We dated," he said.

"Ah."

"It was six years ago, Cam."

"Okay."

Brennan knocked on the door then, and Cam swiveled to face her.

"Am I interrupting?" she asked, seeing their faces.

"No," Cam shook her head. "I was just leaving."

"See you at the lab," Brennan said as she passed. Booth was squeezing his stress ball hard now. He knew Cam wasn't thrilled he hadn't told her right away, and if Brennan was here, then that meant something else was coming.

"Sorry I left like that last night," he apologized, hoping that was all it was about, that she was simply checking in on him.

"It's okay," she replied. She didn't leave, so he knew there was more.

"What's up?"

"Um, there's been a development."

"Tell me," he ordered. He leaned forward. He was dreading it, but he also needed to know.

"Rebecca died about five years ago," Brennan started. Booth clenched the ball so tightly his knuckles turned white.

"Uh huh," he said.

"She...evidence shows she gave birth," Brennan finished slowly. Booth stopped squeezing the ball and looked up at her. Brennan saw the mixed emotions in his eyes.

"What?" he asked. "How long ago?"

"I can't tell that."

Booth breathed in deep then.

"So there could be a missing child then?"

"I suppose so, yes," Brennan nodded.

"Well, when I knew her, she had never given birth," Booth said. "She broke up with me six years ago, and then she died about a year after that, so that child would have been born after we..." He stopped. Brennan watched his face contort.

"No," he said.

"No what?" she asked.

"She wouldn't have," he said, getting upset.

"Booth, tell me."

Instead, he got up and went out the door.

"Not again," Brennan groaned. "Booth!" She chased after him.

...

Rebecca had been pregnant. She broke up with him because she was pregnant. Booth's mind was a million miles an hour now. Her stint in the bathroom made sense now. She had been throwing up. You did that when you were pregnant. But why? Why break up with him? Was it because it wasn't his? Or was it his and she didn't want him to know?

"Booth!"

Why would she do that to him? How could she hurt him like that? Then the next question was, was the child even still alive?

"BOOTH!"

Was the child missing? Was the child killed along with her? Did the child even survive birth?

He felt a hand yank his collar and pull him back just as he almost stepped in front of a moving car. Shaking, he turned to face Brennan.

"Have you lost your mind?" she asked. "You almost got killed!"

"Sorry," he apologized. She stared at him.

"Talk to me," she ordered. He rubbed his face hard.

"I think the child is mine," he told her.

"You...you can't know that," Brennan said logically.

"It's a hunch."

"Booth..."

"Just...let me go with this one, okay? I have to tell her parents now," Booth said, moving away from her. Brennan watched him leave, and she felt worried for him. She'd never seen him like this before.

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 **Thank you for reading! If you have the time to leave a review, we'd really appreciate it :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Message from FictionWriter91: AG, this story has not been abandoned as you've suggested. Due to life circumstances, I haven't been able to write/co-write as often. I do my best, but I can't post as frequently as readers would like, and I apologize for that. Thank you for your continued interest in this story.**

 **flowerkin: Don't worry, I finish all my stories and my co-written stories eventually :)**

 **Thank you everyone else for your continued support! We love that you're enjoying it so much!**

 **Warning: This chapter is very emotional in the beginning.**

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Booth dreaded this conversation very much. He stood outside of Rebecca's parents' house, her photo and Angela's drawing in his hands. He felt his heart bouncing all over the place, and he wanted to throw up. He hadn't seen Janet or Michael in a long time, just the once after Rebecca had broken up with him. It had been at the grocery store, and they had been just as confused by the break up as he had been. He finally rang the bell, knowing this was going to be one of the hardest death notifications he would ever do in his career.

"Seeley?" Janet asked, opening the door. She was surprised to see him. She also looked sad. Booth recognized that look from other families of victims who had gone missing.

"Who is it?" Michael asked in the background.

"It's Seeley," she called back. "Come in, hon."

Booth went inside, and she closed the door behind them. He saw Michael standing in the entrance of the living room looking at him.

"What brings you to our neck of the woods?" Janet asked. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"No thanks," Booth replied. "I just wanted to ask you some questions about Rebecca."

"We've gone through this process already," Michael said gruffly. "We told you guys everything we know already."

"When was the last time you saw her?" Booth asked. He had to know.

"We haven't physically seen her since about six years ago," Janet answered while Michael pinched his nose and shuddered with emotion.

"So you talked on the phone?"

"A few times. She was always so busy with everything. She promised to visit just before she disappeared," Janet said. She sat down then, her legs starting to tremble.

"What have you found out, Seeley?" Michael cut in. "That's the only reason you're here, right? Just tell us."

"Oh my God," Janet whimpered, covering her mouth. Booth drew in a deep breath.

"I'm so sorry," he started.

"NOOOOO!" Janet screamed, collapsing to the floor. Michael rushed to pick her up into his arms, and he was crying too. Booth clenched his jaw tightly together to prevent himself from losing control of his emotions. He furiously pinched at the bridge of his nose.

"Honey, sweetheart, you gotta be strong," Michael said to Janet gently through his own tears. "Let him finish."

"I c-c-c-can't," Janet stuttered. "Oh GOD!"

"Seeley, what did you find out?" Michael asked, still holding her and looking up at him. Janet buried her face into Michael's neck, sobbing.

"She was murdered," Booth managed to say.

"I was hoping you wouldn't say that," Michael said. "But I guess if the FBI comes to tell us, then it is usually that way, right?"

"I'm so sorry," Booth said again.

"You're on the case?" Michael asked. Janet was wailing even harder now, her words garbled and lost into Michael's shirt.

"I am," Booth nodded. "I will find who did this, Michael. I swear to you."

Michael nodded curtly, fresh tears entering his eyes. Booth knew he had to tell them about the baby. He had to. It was his job.

"Did you know of anyone who would want to hurt Rebecca?" Booth asked, deciding to go this route first.

"No," Michael shook his head. "We told everything to the first agent who questioned us."

"I'll look at the file," Booth promised.

"W-w-when you f-f-find that bastard, bring h-h-him to me," Janet said choppily. "I'll k-k-kill him!"

"Now, Janet, Seeley can't do that," Michael told her. "I'd love to just as much as you do, but it's not the right way."

"So he j-j-just gets to go to j-jail," Janet went on. "T-that's not enough."

"I have to ask you another question," Booth said. They both looked at him.

"Go ahead, son," Michael prompted.

"Did either of you know that Rebecca had a baby?" Booth asked. His words landed on silence, and both Janet and Michael looked at each other in shock before looking back to him.

"No," Michael shook his head.

"Oh my God," Janet said. "That's why she wouldn't come around! She didn't want us to know! Oh my God!" She burst into tears again.

"How do you know this?" Michael asked Booth.

"Our team at the Jeffersonian could tell from her...body," Booth finished. Michael swallowed hard.

"She's a skeleton?!" Janet shrieked.

"Jan, it's been a long time," Michael said urgently. "You know that's how it works."

"My baby is not a skeleton!" Janet shouted.

"I think you need to lie down," Michael started.

"NO! You will NOT tell me what to do!" Janet screeched. She whipped her head at Booth. "Is the baby alive?"

"I don't know," Booth answered truthfully. "I have made that my priority."

Michael was looking at Booth carefully, and if Booth didn't know any better, he'd say that Michael knew the baby was his and that was why Rebecca went AWOL from their lives for so long.

"We trust you will find answers," Michael said after a moment.

"I will," Booth nodded.

"If it's okay with you, we'd like to be alone for a bit," Michael added.

"Of course," Booth said, getting up to leave. Janet got to her feet and pulled him into a tight embrace.  
"She loved you," she said. "I know she did. This is just as much your loss as it is ours. Please come see us if you want to talk, okay?"

"Okay," Booth agreed. Janet gave one last squeeze before releasing him. She had anger in her eyes now along with sorrow.

"Thanks, Seeley," Michael said, shaking his hand. Booth walked out of the house and made it to his car before he started to cry himself. There was a child out there who needed a father, and he was going to find them.

...

Brennan had to look at Parker's file again. She couldn't escape the niggling feeling about Parker being connected to Rebecca somehow, and she had to clarify it once and for all. She sat down at her desk at home and started to read. Parker was still at school, and Brennan had excused herself from work early to do this. She reread the history that she had read before. About four years ago, Parker had been found in a car accident with a man and a woman, who were both deceased on scene. They were his parents, the file said, and his last name was Wallace. There were no photos of his birth parents for her to compare his features to. She sighed, closing the file again. Parker was not connected to Rebecca. He was not the boy Booth was looking for. Brennan gave a nod to nobody as she got up and put the file away again. She grabbed her keys to go pick up Parker.

...

"I'm telling you, Booth, I wouldn't know anything about the baby," Zack said irritably. He was trying to work, and Booth was hovering. He wished Brennan was still there as she could handle Booth better than any of them.

"Okay, so tell me about her," Booth said. "What else have you found?"

"Not much more than what we told you before," Zack answered. "Hodgins is the particulates guy."

"Fine," Booth said, moving away from Zack and going to find Hodgins. He found the bug boy hovered over a microscope.

"When I know, you'll know," Hodgins said, not looking up.

"Damn it, Hodgins," Booth growled. "I thought you were the best?"

"Hey," Hodgins said, looking up now. "That was uncalled for."

"You gotta give me something so I can find this guy," Booth went on.

"I'm going as fast as I can," Hodgins said. "Scout's honor." He held up his hand.

"Booth?" Cam asked, coming in. "What are you doing?"

"Putting pressure on your team to give me answers," Booth replied. Cam crossed her arms and gave him a look.

"Come on," she said.

"I'm working," Booth told her.

"Leave him alone. He will call you when he finds something."

Booth reluctantly started to walk away when Hodgins whipped around suddenly.

"I know where she was dumped!" he cried.

"See?" Booth said to Cam. "A little pressure goes a long way."

"Tell us more," Cam said, ignoring him. Hodgins went on about how he had discovered a certain type of bug on Rebecca that could only be in a certain type of water. He typed furiously on his computer and pulled up the location for Booth to see.

"So she wasn't dumped anywhere near where we found her," Booth confirmed.

"That's right. She traveled. Follow the river, and you'll find the spot," Hodgins nodded. Booth stared at the screen.

"Got it," he said, turning to leave.

"Thanks, Hodgins. You're the best, Hodgins. What would I do without you, Hodgins?" Hodgins muttered to himself as Cam left too.

...

"Will you color with me?" Parker asked. Brennan looked up from her work. Even though she knew she had to work on this case, she didn't want to disappoint him.

"Sure," she agreed. She got down onto the floor on her stomach beside Parker, and he handed her a book. It was Donald Duck.

"You can have any color you want," Parker said seriously.

"Okay," Brennan chuckled. She reached for blue. She remembered Donald wearing a blue jacket. She darkened the outline first before lightly coloring the inside.

"Whoa, that's cool," Parker said, watching her.

"Yea? My Dad showed me how to do this," Brennan said, smiling.

"I wanna try," Parker said, imitating her. He had Pluto the dog. Brennan had to admit he was doing a fine job even before she showed him her technique.

"Very good," she nodded at him. He beamed back at her. Brennan noticed that Parker was slowly warming up to her. He'd only been with her for two days, but he had his guard down in this moment more than he had before. She dreaded bath time because he had freaked out on her the first night he was here when she asked if he wanted to. She knew he had to as the school would ask her why his personal hygiene was failing. She had to figure this out and soon. She let them color for a bit before deciding to dive into it.

"Hey, Parker," she asked casually. "What about having a bath scares you?" She saw him stiffen. He colored a bit more before answering her.

"The water is too hot," he said slowly. Brennan bristled inside. Who would do that to a child?

"Did your foster parent make it too hot?" she questioned.

"Uh huh. He wouldn't cool it down either," Parker went on. "He made me get in and my skin burned so much."

"That was mean of him." Brennan wanted to punch this man in the throat for doing that to Parker.

"It was. Then he'd hold the hose over my head to wash my hair and not let me breathe," Parker finished. Brennan took in some breaths first before responding.

"Parker, I promise you that if you have a bath here, you have full control of the temperature, and I will not try to drown you."

Parker set down his crayon then and looked at her cautiously.

"You mean that?" he asked.

"Of course. I also have some bath toys you can play with," she added.

"Really?"

"Wanna see?"

"Okay," he agreed. They got up together to walk to the bathroom, and Brennan showed him the bin of toys.

"If you want," she said, "you can get into the tub without water first and see that it's not scary."

Parker stood warily, looking at it. He looked back to her. Then he got in carefully and sat, looking around.

"I can control the water?" he asked after a moment.

"Yes," she nodded.

"Can I wash myself? I know how."

"Of course. I'm only here for help if you need it."

"Okay," he said. Brennan pulled out a blue towel from the drawer as he pulled off his clothes and tossed them to the floor outside the tub.

"This is yours," she told him. She pulled out another mat and set it outside the tub on the floor. "This is so you won't slip when you get out."

"I can have the toys in here?" he asked her.

"Yes. All I ask is you wait until you clean yourself before you play for a bit," Brennan said. "Is that okay?"

"That's okay," Parker nodded. She set the bin within arms reach of him on a small stool.

"You want me to show you how to work the taps?" she asked.

"No, I got it," he said, plugging the drain and turning on the tap.

"Just make sure it's warm enough to clean yourself, but it doesn't have to be hot, okay?" she added.

"Got it," he nodded.

"I'll be right out here if you need me," she told him, starting to get up.

"Can you wash my hair?" he asked. She paused.

"I can," she nodded.

"I don't like the hose, though," he said.

"Okay. How about if I use a bowl and just pour water over your hair?" she asked. He pondered on it.

"I'll try it."

"Okay," Brennan said. She retrieved a bowl from the kitchen and went back to kneel beside the tub. By now, the water was in the tub. He sat patiently while she tilted his head back and wet his hair carefully with the bowl. Then she shampooed it.

"Keep your eyes closed," she instructed as she got ready to wash out the soap. "Tilt your head back again."

"Okay," he said, doing so. She rinsed his hair all out and let him know when she was done.

"That wasn't scary at all," he told her.

"I'm glad," she smiled. "Now, you can wash up everywhere else and play for about ten minutes okay?"

"Okay," he grinned. Brennan left him to it and went to sit on the edge of her bed for a moment. Caring for Parker just felt so natural. She could really see herself adopting him to be her son. She smiled. Russ was right after all. Being a foster parent definitely had its rewards.


	5. Chapter 5

**Message from FictionWriter91: It's my fault this story hasn't been updated in so long. My explanation is in the author's note of The Ghosts in the Babies latest chapter, so I won't repeat it here. I also got Avenger fever after Endgame in April, so I got into writing for that fandom for a bit. Just always know that I am a finisher, so this story will be finished. The updates just might not be as fast as usual. Please enjoy our new chapter!**

* * *

Brennan was trying to focus on her case, but she couldn't stop thinking about the scars she had seen on Parker's back. At a quick glance, you could easily miss them, but when she had dried him off, she saw them. She was furious to see that one looked an awful lot like a cigarette burn. She had clenched her jaw at this so tight she was sure it was going to pop. Parker had asked for a story then, so she read to him for a while as he fell asleep. She watched him sleep, wondering what he dreamed about and if he still felt unsafe. She wanted him to feel safe with her. Her phone rang, startling her. Seeing that it was Booth, she answered.

"Brennan."

"Hey, I need you to come down here. I found the crime scene," Booth said.

"What?"

"Hodgins told me where to look. I found it. Come on," he urged.

"I...I can't just leave Parker," Brennan argued.

"Call Angela and ask her to babysit. Bones, I need you down here."

"Fine, I'll be there. Send me your location."

"You got it."

She hung up feeling annoyed. She disliked just being at someone's beck and call. Then again, if was case related, she really should be there. She dialed her phone.  
"Hey, Ange, I need a favor..."

...

Booth was leaning against his SUV when Brennan showed up. He went to meet her as she stopped and got out. She looked around at the run down buildings.

"All right. I'm here," she said, snapping her gloves on.

"This way," Booth said, leading her over to the one building. When they entered, she flashed her light around. Her stomach clenched a little upon seeing what appeared to be some sort of torture devices.

"Is this where Rebecca was killed?" she asked. Too late, she realized her bluntness. Booth was gripping his flashlight very tightly, his jaw taut.

"It's definitely where she was disposed of," he answered tightly. They walked around, shining their lights on everything. Brennan felt a little sick. She wondered how many people died here.

"Who owns this place?" she asked.

"My guys are working on that," he replied. They stood at the edge of the river for a moment.

"She was thrown in here," Brennan gestured.

"We'll find out," Booth said, turning as the crew showed up to start marking out the scene.

"I'm sorry, Booth," Brennan started.

"It's fine, Bones. Let's just figure out who did this," he cut her off. His eyes were begging her to just say okay, so she did.

"Okay," she nodded. She reached for her phone to text Angela that she'd be late getting home.

 **Morning**

Angela woke up on the couch, her face pressed into the pillow with a little bit of drool escaping her lips. She sat up, wiping at her face and feeling gross when she heard Parker in his room. He sounded like he was panicking. She hurried down the hall, wondering where Brennan was as she still wasn't home.

"Who are you?!" Parker yelped when she appeared in his doorway.

"I'm Angela. I'm Brennan's best friend," Angela answered. The boy was frightened, and he was backed against the wall.

"Where is she?" Parker asked.

"She's at work. She had to go last night, so I came to watch you," Angela said, holding her hands out. "I'm not going to hurt you. I promise."

He studied her, his face betraying his emotions. Angela hated seeing how fearful he was.

"She left without saying goodbye," he said, his voice really small.

"No, no, no," Angela said quickly. "She didn't leave you, sweetie. She just went to work. She's coming back." She reached for her phone then, determined to figure out where the hell Brennan was. There was no message from Brennan at all. She fired off a text, demanding a location and ETA.

"She's really coming back?" Parker asked.

"Yes," Angela nodded firmly. "She will never leave you, Parker."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

Angela saw his face relax. She felt a little better herself.

"Are you hungry? I can make you something," she said. Thankfully it was a Saturday, so there was no school to convince him to go to.

"Okay," he agreed after a moment. Angela sighed in relief. She didn't have much experience with children, and she didn't know how she was going to handle his distress if he didn't start to settle. He unglued himself from the wall and searched for clothes to put on. She left him to it and went to the kitchen, checking her phone. Still nothing.

"Argh," she growled, setting it on the counter with a bang. Why would Brennan do this to Parker? She searched the kitchen for ingredients, deciding on pancakes for him. She could hear Parker using the washroom while she prepared it. He came out after a few moments and pulled himself up onto the bar stool, leaning his elbows on the counter.

"What are you making?" he asked.

"Pancakes," she answered. He looked at her.

"What are those?"

"You...you've never had pancakes?" she asked. He shook his head.

"No."

"Not even with chocolate chips?"

"No. That sounds good."

"Oh boy. Well, you're in for a treat," Angela said, grabbing the bag of chocolate chips and throwing them into the mix before putting them in the pan to cook. Parker watched her eagerly, the smell of them cooking making his stomach growl. Her phone chirped, so she reached for it.

"Hi, it's me," Brennan said.

"Where are you?" Angela asked accusingly.

"I'm sorry. We were here all night. I'm coming home now. Is Parker okay?"

"It was a bit rough at first, but it's okay now," Angela answered.

"Can you put him on for me?"

"Sure."

Angela handed the phone to Parker.

"It's Brennan," she told him. He took it gingerly from her.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Parker. I'm coming home okay? I'm sorry I was away so long."

"It's okay. Angela is making pancakes!"

"That's great. I'm glad you're okay."

"I was scared."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Angela said you'd never leave me, though," Parker went on.

"She's right. I never will. That's a promise," Brennan said. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Okay."

He handed Angela back the phone, and she saw that Brennan had disconnected. She tucked it into her back pocket.

"I told you," Angela said to him, winking. He grinned. She flipped the pancakes, cooking them entirely before taking them off and putting them on a plate. She pulled out the maple syrup from the fridge. He stared in wonder as she dripped it all over the pancakes before handing him the plate with a fork and a knife.

"Wow," he said, making her laugh.

"I think you'll love them," Angela commented. He started to cut into them, popping the first piece into his mouth. His eye went wide, and he looked at Angela.

"These are amazing!" he cried. He attacked the pancakes more vigorously then, stuffing them into his mouth.

"Slow down," she laughed, reaching out and putting her hand on his arm. "Don't choke." He obeyed. She had some herself, and she had to admit they were pretty damn good. She heard keys in the doorway then, and Brennan came inside. Booth was behind her. Parker didn't notice at first as he was too busy eating.

"Hey," Brennan said, making him spin.

"Hi!" he cried, jumping down and running to hug her. Booth hung back, watching.

"You want some?" Angela asked them.

"No," Brennan shook her head. "We have to go back to work. I just need to shower first." She wanted the dirt and death off of her.

"Booth?" Angela prompted.

"I'm not hungry," he answered.

"Your loss," Angela shrugged. Parker looked at Booth then.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm Booth. I work with Bones."

"Bones?" Parker asked, wrinkling his nose.

"That's his name for me," Brennan answered, taking off her coat and shoes.

"I like it," Parker grinned. "Bones."

"See what you started?" Brennan asked Booth, annoyed. He gave her a smirk. Truthfully, Brennan preferred Parker calling her Bones than Temperance or Miss Brennan. She knew it was too soon for "Mom," and "Foster Mom" just felt plain weird. She didn't know if Parker would ever call her Mom because he knew he had a mom before. She'd settle for Bones.

Parker went back to his pancakes while Booth chatted with Angela.

"We've got a lead. They found out who owns the property. I'm going to talk to the guy later today," Booth told her. He filled her in on the rest.

"That sounds horrible," Angela grimaced. Her appetite was suddenly gone.

"We don't really need you today, so do you mind hanging out with Parker while we go work?" Booth asked.

"I don't mind at all," Angela answered. She liked Parker a lot. Maybe she'd take him to a museum of art.

"You're the best."

"Booth, are you a cop?" Parker asked, seeing Booth's gun. He was in awe of it.

"I work for the FBI," Booth explained.

"Cool!"

Booth showed him his badge, smiling a little. The kid was adorable.

"Can I touch it?" Parker asked.

"Sure," he nodded. Parker gingerly and carefully touched the badge.

"Do you ever get scared?" he asked. Booth froze at this. It was not a question he expected from someone so young.

"Sometimes," Booth answered truthfully. Parker cocked his head at him, his eyes showing what appeared to be understanding. Booth swallowed.

"Okay," Brennan said, returning. She was freshly showered and changed. "We should go. Ange..."

"I'm okay to stay here," Angela interrupted.

"Parker, I have to work today. Will you be okay with Angela?" Brennan asked. He nodded.

"I like her."

"Good. I'll be back for dinner, okay?"

"Okay."

Brennan gave him a tight hug then, and Parker hugged her back. Booth still felt weird watching her interact with this boy. He was always used to her coldness and awkwardness. She was so natural with Parker.

"Ready?" she asked Booth.

"Yea."

They walked out the door together, and Brennan looked back to see Parker animatedly chatting with Angela. She knew he'd be all right. She looked at Booth then as they stepped into the elevator.

"We'll get him, Booth," she said, touching his hand. He didn't respond. She knew he knew it. The doors closed, and she exhaled. It was time to catch a murderer.

* * *

 **As always, we love hearing from you. Thank you to all of you who have reviewed so far! We appreciate it greatly :)**


	6. Chapter 6

"What is this place?" Parker asked, looking around them. Angela had taken him to an art museum, and he was in awe of all the pieces of art on the wall.

"It's a museum," Angela answered.

"What's a museum?"

"It's a place where historical things are put on display," Angela explained. It was the best and simplest description she could give him.

"Oh, that's cool," Parker grinned.

"There are more for things like dinosaurs and such," she told him.

"Can we go there?"

"On our next outing together, we can," she promised. Her heart warmed when he reached and took her hand. He was so easy to get along with. She understood why Brennan was so attached to him already. It made her think about being a mom herself.

"People actually created these?" Parker asked when they were standing in front of a painting.

"Yes. I paint too actually," Angela added.

"Really?" he asked, eyes popping.

"Yup."

"Can you teach me?"

"I sure can."

"Yes!" he exclaimed, fist pumping. Angela laughed. Her phone vibrated, and she saw that Hodgins had texted her. The two of them seemed to be talking a bit more outside of work, which surprised her. He was a sweet guy.

"Do you think my real mom would be upset that I'm happy with Bones?" Parker asked suddenly, completely breaking into Angela's thoughts.

"What? No," Angela shook her head. "I'm sure she would be fine with it."

"I have this dream sometimes," Parker went on. "I dream that she was talking to me and then was dragged away."

Angela froze here. Was it actually a dream? Or was it a memory?

"Oh?" she prompted. "That must be a scary dream."

"It is. I think I'm really little, like a baby."

"Uh huh."

"I dream it a lot," he confessed.

"Have you told Brennan?"

"No," he shook his head.

"Maybe you should."

"I talked about it with my other foster mom, and she told me I was making up stories. I don't want to make Bones mad at me like that lady was."

"Aw, sweetie, Brennan will not get mad at you. I promise."

"I'll think about it," Parker said. He swung Angela's hand with his then, and they continued on their way. Angela made a mental note to talk to Brennan when she got back.

...

Booth was plagued with guilt. He wished he had gone back and insisted on talking to Rebecca all those years ago. Would he have had custody of his child or at least access? Would they have stayed together? He was back in his office after spending the day watching the crews work the crime scene. So far, they found nothing, which really infuriated him. They did find out who owned the property, and it was a man named Marcus Vance. Booth looked at his photo on his desk and wondered how the hell Rebecca got tangled up with someone like that. He had a big rap sheet. It was a few aggravated assaults and robberies, but nothing like murder. Had he upgraded from assault to murder? He had people looking for him now. Booth couldn't wait to interrogate him.

"Knock, knock," Cam said, coming in.

"You get anything?" he asked.

"We've done all we can with the body. We're getting ready to release it to her parents. Should be done in a day or so. You doing okay?"

"I just can't picture her hanging around someone like this," Booth said, pointing at Marcus.

"It could have nothing to do with him. His property just might be the dumping ground, that's it."

"My gut says otherwise."

Cam pressed her lips together but didn't respond.

"She had my kid, Cam," Booth went on. "She didn't tell me or her parents. My kid has been in foster care all this time. What if he or she has been abused? What if my child is dead too? I can't stand it."

"I'm really sorry, Booth," Cam said softly. She didn't know what else to say. She rested her hand on his shoulder briefly, but he didn't respond. She felt them growing apart these past few days. She didn't want to say anything yet, though. Why upset him further?

"I just need to be alone," he said.

"Okay."

He didn't watch her leave. Instead, he pulled up his computer and started searching for children with the last name Stinson who were in foster care. Much to his dismay, he found nothing. He put his head into his hands. He had never felt so helpless in his life.

...

Brennan was tired, but she put on a smile for Parker when he came in with Angela.

"How was your day?" she asked.

"It was amazing! I saw all these pictures!"

"We went to an art museum," Angela laughed. "We might have another Van Gogh on our hands here. He wants me to teach him."

"That's great. I have supper ready," Brennan gestured. "Go wash your hands first, though."

"Okay," Parker said, rushing to do so.

"Bren?" Angela said quietly when he was out of earshot.

"Yea?"

"Parker told me about a dream he has about his real mother."

"Oh?"

"Yes. He said he sees her talking to him and then get dragged away. He said he thinks he was a baby when it happened."

Brennan stopped pouring Parker's glass of milk then and looked at Angela.

"Really."

"Yes. He's scared to talk to you about it because his last foster mom got mad at him and said he was making it up."

"I will let him tell me then."

"He said he would think about it."

"Thanks, Ange."

"Are you leaving?" Parker asked Angela.

"I'm going to go home, yes. I'll see you again, though," she promised. Parker hugged her tightly then, surprising both Brennan and Angela.

"Bye for now," he said.

"Bye for now," Angela nodded. She made an "aww" face at Brennan over his head before turning to leave.

"I'm glad you're best friends with her," Parker said to Brennan after. "Cos I really like her."

"I'm glad," Brennan smiled. Her mind was trapped in thinking about Parker's dream, though. What if it was a memory? But she had looked at his file. It had said his parents had died in a car accident, so how was he remembering his mother being dragged away from him? What was going on here? Parker had started eating when someone knocked on her door.

"Oh, hi," she said, seeing Booth on the other side of it.

"Is this a bad time?" he asked.

"Um, we're just eating."

"I can come back," he said.

"Hi, Booth!" Parker called. "Is he staying, Bones?"

"I think Parker likes you," Brennan said. Booth smiled at this.

"Yea? He's only met me once."

"He is quite taken with Angela too."

"All right, I'll hang out for a bit," he said, coming in. He went to sit beside Parker across from Brennan, and that was when she saw it. She blinked, feeling as though her eyes were playing tricks on her. She swallowed.

"You okay?" Booth asked her.

"Yea. Yea, I'm just thinking about the case," she lied.

"It's draining, that's for sure," Booth agreed.

"Is it a big case?" Parker asked innocently. "Is it really heavy? What color is it? I have a brown case for my clothes."

Booth burst out laughing because of the mistake Parker had made.

"It's not an actual case, buddy," he said. "It's a file, but we call it a case."

"Oh. Is it a heavy file then?"

"Sort of," Booth smiled. It was emotionally heavy for sure. He knew what Parker meant, though, but he didn't correct him.

"Why don't you show Booth your cars?" Brennan suggested once Parker had finished eating.

"Okay!" Parker exclaimed, rushing off.

"He's adorable," Booth said to her when they were alone. "Are you going to adopt him?"

"I want to," Brennan nodded.

"You'd be a great mom," Booth told her seriously. He could see it now just watching the two of them together. Parker clearly trusted her. She smiled back at him. He stood to go join Parker, and Brennan felt a really big sinking feeling in her gut. How could she adopt Parker when his facial features and bone structure matched Booth's perfectly?


	7. Chapter 7

Booth looked at Marcus sitting across from him, and his inner voice said Marcus was guilty. Yes, there was probably some bias because of the way he looked and all the tattoos he had, but Booth just had a feeling.

"Your property has a very interesting story to tell," Booth began. Marcus didn't even blink. He kept staring back at Booth.

"Oh yea?" he asked.

"Yea. You wanna explain the torture devices?" Booth asked, sliding over the photos. He watched Marcus carefully, and he did detect surprise in the man's eyes. That was not a good sign. That showed possible genuine innocence.

"I haven't stepped foot on this property in at least four years."

"I don't believe you," Booth retorted.

"It's the truth."

"I think you kidnap women, torture them, then dispose of them in the river," Booth said.

"I think you're nuts," Marcus snorted.

Booth gave him the dead eye stare, and Marcus's smirk slowly turned into panic as he realized Booth wasn't kidding around.

"I'm telling you the truth, man," he said. "I haven't been there. I inherited it from my uncle. I went up there to check it out once and never went back. I didn't even go inside the buildings. It was a dump. I was getting ready to sell once the market was better."

"Who is your uncle?"

"Steve Vance."

"When did he die?"

"About five years ago," Marcus answered. "He died in a robbery gone bad."

"Have you ever seen this woman?" Booth asked, showing Marcus the photo of Rebecca. Marcus swallowed.

"No," he denied.

"You're lying," Booth said. "Tell me the truth, now."

"All right, all right," Marcus said. "That's the woman whose baby my aunt tried to kidnap from the hospital."

"Excuse me?" Booth asked, incredulous.

"It was horrible. My aunt couldn't have kids, and she worked at the hospital where she saw all these babies and sometimes negligent mothers. She just snapped and took this kid because she thought she'd be a better mother. She did some jail time. My uncle was furious at the woman who put her there."

"Because she pressed charges for kidnapping?" Booth asked. "What did they expect?"

"I dunno. I'm not that close with them. All I know is my uncle was really pissed at this woman," Marcus said, pointing at the picture.

"And he's dead now," Booth confirmed.

"Yea. Sorry."

"Your aunt?"

"Moved to Europe. I don't know where," Marcus answered. "She was too embarrassed to stay around here after what she'd done."

"Great, thanks," Booth said, standing up and leaving the interrogation room suddenly. He met Brennan in the hallway. She was checking her phone. Parker was at school, so she didn't need a babysitter.

"Well?" she asked.

"He didn't do it," Booth answered.

"Are you sure?" she asked, incredulous.

"He told me that his uncle left him the property in his will. Steve Vance died about five years ago. Apparently his wife tried to kidnap Rebecca's baby from the hospital. My baby," Booth added, feeling sick. He could only imagine what Rebecca had felt at the time.

"That's terrible," Brennan said, her stomach twisting. If it had indeed been Parker, it made her feel sick to know how his story could have ended.

"I think that Steve did something to Rebecca," Booth said. "But he's dead, so I will never find out."

"I have even more bad news," Brennan said when he paused.

"Oh, what?" he asked, dreading her answer.

"Hodgins has analyzed almost everything from the property," she started. "Those so called torture devices we found? They only had pig's blood on them, not human."

"Seriously?"

"Yea."

Booth didn't even want to know what Steve had done to pigs with those devices. He shuddered.

"But," she went on. "There was a gun found in one of the buildings. Hodgins said Rebecca's prints are on it."

Booth stared at her. Then he went back in to see Marcus.

"What now?" he asked, looking a little afraid.

"Your uncle, he died in a robbery gone bad you said?"

"Well, that's what they told me. I don't really know what happened other than he got shot," Marcus answered.

"Did he ever mention wanting to hurt Rebecca?"

"All the time."

"You think he did?"

"Man, I don't know. Like I said, we aren't close."

"Where is he buried?"

"He was cremated."

"All right," Booth said, leaving again. His gut told him that Steve had taken Rebecca there, but she had shot him and gotten away. What happened to her after that, though, was a mystery. Hodgins had said she had been in that lake and then traveled down the river. Had someone else been involved? Or had Steve just been wounded by her shot and managed to overpower Rebecca and kill her still? He wouldn't know because there was no body of Steve's to exhume and find out.

"I'm sorry we couldn't get any real answers for you," Brennan said as they walked to his office. She kept looking at him and analyzing his face. Had she really seen a similarity between him and Parker last night? She had thought she had, but now she was doubting it. There was no way. It couldn't be. She was mistaken. Then again, she knew she was good at what she did. Was her wanting to adopt Parker clouding her judgment? She still didn't really know Booth that well. The main thing of all was that she wanted Parker to be safe and happy. He was attached to her. She didn't want to make him lose that attachment and feel abandoned for the 11th time. She did not want to hurt him, not after he had put his trust in her. She didn't really know what to do. It was a tug of war in her mind, and neither side was winning currently.

...

"So, we're at a dead end," Cam noted. She and Booth were sitting in the lounge area up top in the Jeffersonian. He sighed.

"I guess we are."

"You think she shot this Steve person?"

"I do."

"So...who killed her? And what happened to her baby?"

"I don't know," Booth shook his head. "I don't. I don't know if I ever will. No other evidence was found there."

"I'm sorry," Cam said, taking his hand in hers. "Not knowing is the worst."

"I'm going to put my focus into finding my child," Booth said, looking at her finally. "I have to find him...or her." He didn't voice his fear that his child was already dead.

"I'll be there for you every step of the way," Cam promised. Booth knew she would, and he was grateful for that, but at the same time, he knew he was going to be doing this alone.

 **A Few Weeks Later**

Parker looked at Angela as they played on the swings at the park. He could tell she was upset by something. Brennan and Booth had gone to Las Vegas to work a crime, and Angela was watching Parker, much to the boy's delight. He didn't get as anxious when Brennan wasn't there like he had in the beginning.

"What's wrong?" Parker asked finally.

"Hm? Nothing," Angela answered, coming back to the present. In truth, she was thinking about her great date with Hodgins and how she said they were going to stay friends.

"I know I'm just a kid, but I know when people are sad," Parker pointed out.

"You're very smart, aren't you?" she asked, smiling.

"I am," he nodded proudly.

"Okay," Angela said. "Well...there's this friend of mine..."

"Is it a boy?" Parker asked, interrupting.

"Yes," she laughed. "He's a boy."

"Okay."

"He likes me, but I'm not sure if I like him," she finished. Parker furrowed his brow, thinking.

"Did he hurt your feelings?" he asked.

"No, he didn't."

"Does he fart a lot? Girls don't like it when boys fart. They told me," Parker explained. Angela bit her cheeks to stop laughing.

"No," she shook her head.

"Is he nice to you?"

"Yes."

"Is he funny? Girls like funny. They told me that too," Parker said emphatically.

"He can be funny."

"Then why don't you like him?" Parker asked simply.

"I don't know," Angela said absently. There really wasn't anything wrong with Hodgins. She was just scared of the fallout if it failed.

"I think you should try to like him," Parker declared. "You might be happy you did."

"You're a very wise little boy, Parker," Angela said, ruffling his hair and making him grin. They swung together, and Angela kept thinking about Hodgins.

...

"You're thinking about Parker," Booth said, looking at Brennan as she looked at her phone constantly.

"I just want him to be okay," she replied. The internal battle inside of her was raging. She hadn't had Booth and Parker side by side since that one time, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was right, that Parker was Booth's child. She felt angry because she wanted to adopt Parker because she realized she loved that little boy very much almost immediately, and she had called a lawyer already against her better judgment. She felt bad that she had his son and she hadn't told him. She knew she had to tell him. The words just failed her every time she opened her mouth to tell him. She didn't want him to blow up at her to start with, and knowing that she'd lose Parker after she told him was like a noose around her heart threatening to sever it. She forced it from her mind once more. She had to stay focused on the case here. They walked into a casino looking for a loan shark.

"There he is," Brennan pointed. "Come on."

She charged ahead until she realized he wasn't behind her. Puzzled, she turned around. Then she saw his face.

"Oh no," she said. "You...you can't be in here. You're a degenerate gambler!" She felt very worried suddenly.

"Former gambler, Bones. I was a former gambler, not a degenerate...anyway, I'm fine," he finished, giving his head a shake. "I just needed to adjust." He caught sight of the loan shark walking away now. "He's on the move."

"I think you need to sit down," Brennan commented, looking at his face. "You can barely breathe."

"I'm fine."

"This is not fine."

"I'm going to talk to him, and you stay here," Booth ordered, annoyed. It was the sound of winning that was getting to him more than anything. He didn't tell her that. He knew it would only make her more convinced he needed to leave.

Brennan hovered by the game tables until she spied one that seemed interesting. She sat down at it and began to play. After a moment, she caught on to how to play the game. Then it was easy.

"What are you doing?" Booth asked, finding her there after talking to Lou the loan shark.

"This game is easy," she answered. "You just count the..."

"Ah heh hem!" Booth said loudly, grabbing her arm and pulling her up.

"What?" she asked, confused. The pit boss was now standing before them, arms crossed.

"We're just leaving," Booth promised him, pulling Brennan after him.

"What's going on? I was winning," she said.

"By cheating."

"How?"

"Counting cards is cheating."

"I disagree. It's a strategy."

"Not to these guys it isn't," Booth said. Brennan was still confused by this, but she let it go. Booth filled her in on Lou as they walked.

...

"He is so cute I just want to scream," Cam said to Angela. They had Parker in her office where Cam had just visited him. Working weekends really did suck. Angela knew Parker would rather be playing outside than sitting in here, but she had no choice.

"Isn't he? Oh my God, Cam, he's so smart too."

"Is Brennan adopting him?"

"I think she has started the proceedings. She seems edgy about it, though."

"Nerves probably. He's going to become her son. It's a strange feeling," Cam nodded. She knew what that was like. She thought of Michelle. No one else here knew about it but her right now. Technically she didn't legally adopt the girl, but it still felt like Michelle was her adopted daughter.

"I've got something," Hodgins said, approaching them. He was reserved in front of Angela now, and she felt bad.

"Is he...?" Cam asked, gesturing to Parker inside Angela's office.

"He's drawing. He's practising a technique I showed him," Angela said. "He'll be fine."

They followed Hodgins to find out the news and to call Booth and Brennan with it.

...

After discovering that the victim was involved in illegal fighting, Booth and Brennan went undercover. Brennan was thrilled by this but at the same time wondered what was happening. Booth was acting a little handsy with her, so she got handsy back, and something was going on in her stomach that just felt weird to her. On top of her secret about Parker, she now had an attraction to Booth. Perfect. Could things get any more complicated?

They were waiting for Booth to fight when his opponent came over to him.

"H-Hold on," Booth said. "Aren't you supposed to be over there?"

"They pulled me out. They think this other guy is better for betting."

Booth swallowed as he looked at the giant standing in the ring, waiting.

"He'll kill you," Brennan said, sounding a little scared. "You can't fight him."

"I kinda have to," Booth replied, heading into the ring. He was feeling a bit freaked out, though, not that he'd admit it to anyone. The fight started, and things did not look good for him almost immediately. Brennan was anxiously watching. Then she discovered something that would help Booth.

"Don't get up!" she shouted at Booth after he was thrown down. "Monroe has calcium deposits on his left medial epicondyle."

"He has what on the what?!" Booth shouted. The other fighter went at him again, throwing him once more. Brennan managed to get close to him again as the crowd went nuts.

"He has lack of motion in his quadratus lumborum and can't extend his arm. Hit him in that area!"

"ENGLISH, PLEASE!" Booth roared, dodging blows.

"Hit his lower back just above his kidney on the left side!" she shouted at him.

"All right," he nodded. He broke away from Monroe, and then he started pounding on him where Brennan said to. In no time, Monroe went down and stayed down.

...

"Oh, hello," Hodgins said, seeing Parker at her desk.

"Hi," Parker waved.

"You're Parker?"

"Yup."

"Do you know where Angela is?" He knew she was working with the boxer, Marisol, who had been sent to compare her injuries to the victim's injuries to see if they had fought together and if that had killed the victim.

"She's with Cam," Parker answered. "I think."

"What are you drawing?" Hodgins asked, going over to look.

"Angela on the swing," he replied. "We were there earlier today."

"Really," Hodgins said, wondering if Angela was still thinking about their date.

"Yea. It was fun. She seemed sad, though."

"She did?"

"Uh huh. She talked about this boy who likes her, and I think she likes him too but is scared."

"Scared?"

"Yea," Parker shrugged. "I told her she should like him back."

Hodgins couldn't believe his ears.

"Hi," Angela said, coming in then. He cleared his throat and stepped back.

"Hey. I was just wondering about Marisol..."

"It's all finished. We got what we needed from her." Angela hoped Marisol wouldn't get found out for coming here to help with the case. The woman had been scared of that.

Hodgins nodded.

"Great. G-Great...great," he finished awkwardly. Then he took off. Angela frowned, wondering what that was about.

 **The Next Day**

"That looks painful," Cam noted as she sat with Booth in his apartment. He was back from Vegas after solving the murder.

"I've had worse," he answered.

"You okay?" she asked, sensing his mood was low.

"Just...thinking about Rebecca still," he replied. And Brennan. Something had happened in their last exchange in Vegas before coming home. She'd told him she had bet on him because of beginner's luck, and he saw a flush on her cheeks at this. He didn't know what it meant, but he had felt a small twinge too.

"Pizza?" Cam asked, getting up to grab the phone to order.

"Sure," he nodded. He was also thinking about his relationship with Cam. It wasn't feeling the same as it had in the beginning. He didn't know what to make of that either.

...

"You're home!" Parker cried, hugging Brennan tightly.

"How are you?" Brennan asked, breathing in his scent. She had missed him so much.

"Good. Angela taught me how to draw stuff," he answered.

"Awesome," Brennan smiled. Angela was saying goodbye to Parker as Brennan noticed she had a voicemail. She checked it, and she felt her stomach drop as it started.

"Hi, Dr. Brennan, it's Tiffany," her lawyer said. "We're good to go on starting the adoption process. We just need you to sign some papers. Call me when you get this."

Brennan barely registered Angela leaving and Parker telling her about the park and swings. All she could think about was what she was doing to Booth if she continued with this lawyer, and she felt anguish inside at knowing she had to find out for sure he was the father and then tell him before she did anything else even though that meant Parker leaving her forever. And that...that broke her heart.

* * *

 **We know you've said Brennan would tell him, and she will. It's not going to be an easy road, though, hence the title of the story lol. We're trying to show her inner conflict over this whole thing and her interest in Parker's wellbeing. Also, we are not going to forget about Rebecca's case. It is going to come back very soon. Everything will get solved, we promise.**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

Brennan opened her eyes and groaned. She felt dizzy and nauseous. She had no idea why. She noticed she was in her car, but it was dark inside. Had she fallen asleep in her car? Was it nighttime? She tried to start her car, but nothing happened. She noticed the radio was playing.

"Where am I?" she asked. Her voice sounded groggy to her. A pain in the back of her neck made her reach to touch it. "Ow." She went to open the door, but it wouldn't budge.

"What?" she asked herself. She tried again, but it wouldn't move. She tried to roll down the window, but dirt just came falling in, so she rolled it back up quickly. For a moment, panic set in as she sat up straight and realized where she was, what had happened, and what case she had been working on.

She was buried alive in her car.

...

Booth was looking at Rebecca's case file. He hadn't given up on it, not in the slightest. He kept going over the details of what was in the file plus what Marcus had told him. He kept feeling like something didn't add up.

"Booth?" Duke asked, sticking his head into his office. Duke was from the police department.

"Yea?" Booth replied.

"There's been a shooting."

"And?"

"The vic is pretty much dying."

"Okay. Why are you telling me this?" Booth asked, confused.

"It's Marcus Vance."

Booth felt his stomach drop as he stared at Duke.

"What?" he asked.

"Big surprise he was involved in another robbery, but this time, the owner had a gun behind the counter. He shot Vance. He's dying, and he wants to talk to you."

Booth was on his feet instantly.

"Where is he?"

"Hospital."

"Thanks, Duke," Booth said, rushing off. He wondered what Marcus had to say.

...

Angela was coloring with Parker and showing him a new shading technique that he was really picking up on. Angela had high hopes that Parker would be an artist. She loved the idea of having a protege. The only problem was she was worried about Brennan. She hadn't called or texted to tell her where she was or when she was coming home. Angela had picked Parker up from school as a favor because Brennan was working late on the Gravedigger case.

"Bones didn't leave me, did she?" Parker asked suddenly, looking up from his art at Angela. She swallowed.

"No, sweetie. She's just working late."

"I don't want her to leave me. Ever," Parker told her.

"I don't think she plans to," Angela promised. His eyes had so much hope that it almost made her hurt inside. This boy had been passed around like a football. He knew when someone cared about him and when someone didn't, which was hard to think about since he was so young.

"If anyone is going to be my new Mommy, it's her," Parker went on, going back to his coloring. Angela felt warm inside. Both Brennan and Parker deserved love and commitment, and they were perfect for each other.

...

Brennan was taking in deep breaths when the groan behind her made her yelp.

"Hodgins!"

He looked terrible. His legs were a mess. She twisted in her seat, looking at him.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"In my car. Buried alive," she answered. "He got us."

"Who?"

"The Gravedigger."

"Shit," Hodgins muttered. He groaned again. Brennan started thinking about Parker and how panicked he was going to be when he learned Brennan was in danger. She hoped Angela wouldn't tell him. She stopped herself from thinking about what would happen to him if she died. She refused to believe she was going to die.

...

Booth was led to Marcus, who was being worked on.

"Move," he ordered.

"Sir, we have to work on him..."

"He has something important to say to me first," Booth said. "Then he's all yours."

"Sir..."

"It pertains to a murder investigation. Do you want to be arrested for obstructing justice?" Booth asked.

The nurses and doctor were disgruntled, but they stepped back. Marcus rolled his head towards Booth, his voice barely a whisper. Booth leaned down to his mouth to hear better.

"I got rid of her," Marcus was saying. "I panicked."

"What are you talking about?" Booth demanded. Had he been tricked by Marcus?!

"I didn't...kill her," Marcus said, gasping now. "Found uncle...her...dead...panicked...threw in...river."

"You found your uncle Steve and Rebecca both lying dead on his property, panicked, and threw her in the river?" Booth confirmed.

"Y-Yes."

"But you left the gun behind she used."

"Yes."

"How did he kill her?" It was a trick question. He knew how she had died.

"He...on top...her. Strangled...bled out."

"He had managed to strangle her after getting shot and bled out from his gunshot wound after she died?" Booth clarified.

"Yes."

"How can I trust this? You lied to me."

"Please," Marcus said, coughing and choking now. "Didn't...kill...her."

Booth looked at him. He was clearly not going to make it. Why lie on his deathbed?

"Sir? You need to go now," the doctor said. Booth stepped back, and they resumed working on him. It wasn't long, though, before Marcus flat lined. They brought out the paddles, but he didn't come back. Booth stood there as they declared Marcus dead and thought about what Marcus had said. He'd found the bloody mess and panicked, cleaning it up. He was afraid of being accused of the murder, so he didn't tell Booth that the first time they talked. Booth slowly made his way back to his SUV, knowing that he finally had solved Rebecca's murder. An angry man who blamed her for what his own wife did decided to hurt her. She fought back and lost. As Booth drove, he gripped the wheel hard. Her parents were going to be devastated. Then he thought of his next mission, which was to find his child. He would do it because it was the least he could do for Rebecca. His phone rang, startling him. He let it go to voicemail. He wasn't in the mood for talking. He found Cam at the coffee shop in her usual spot.

"Hey," she said as he came in.

"I solved Rebecca's case," he blurted. She frowned.

"What? How?"

"Marcus Vance."

"That guy? But wasn't it his uncle...?"

"On his deathbed, he told me he found both his uncle and Rebecca dead on the property. He panicked and put her in the river."

"Oh my God."

"Yea," he said, rubbing his face. "Now I just need to find my child."

"And you will. I know you will," Cam promised.

"Hang on," Booth said, remembering the phone call in the car. "I gotta check my voicemail."

"Okay," she nodded. He was not expecting the message that he got.

"Temperance Brennan and Jack Hodgins have been buried alive. Wire transfer $8 million to the following Grand Cayman account or they will suffocate to death. Upon receipt of the wire transfer, I will provide you Brennan and Hodgins GPS Coordinates. This will be my last communication."

All the hair on Booth's arms and neck stood up.

"What?" Cam asked, noticing his face.

"Bones and Hodgins are buried alive," he answered.

...

"I have lots of water," Brennan said, rummaging in her bag. "I have it for Karate."

"Where are we?" Hodgins asked again.

"Buried alive in my car," she answered again. "Obviously you've been hit by a car and filled with drugs to ruin your short term memory like he did with Ryan Kent. I got hit with a stun gun."

"Zack was working on that," Hodgins said. "The stun gun. Wait, how long have we been down here?"

"About two hours," she answered. Hodgins was doing the math in his head.

"My head isn't working," he said after a moment.

"If the Gravedigger is as consistent as I think he is, then we've started with 12 hours of oxygen and have 10 left," Brennan explained. Hodgins looked like he was going to throw up.

"And if no one finds us?" he asked. Brennan felt sick herself then. Parker's face flashed in her mind. Then Russ's, Angela's, Zack's, and Booth's.

"We're dead," she answered.

...

When Angela got the call, she had no idea what to tell Parker. He was waiting for her to tell him what was going on. The expectant look on his face was not helping.

"I have to go to work," she told him finally.

"What happens to me?" he asked.

"You get to hang out in my office."

"Cool!"

Angela was glad he was young enough to still find sitting at a desk "cool." She got him ready to go, hiding her shaking hands as best as she could. When they arrived at the Jeffersonian, Booth was waiting for her with Zack and Cam.

"Hi Booth!" Parker called excitedly. This alerted Booth to the fact that Angela hadn't told him Brennan was missing.

"Hey, buddy," he said back.

"I get to hang out here with you guys," Parker went on, grinning.

"You sure do. Hey, let's get you set up in my office," Angela said, taking him there. When she came back alone, Booth was concerned.

"What do we tell him?" he asked.

"Let's see how long we can hold off explaining where Brennan is," Cam suggested. "To keep his anxiety levels down."

"He's already worried she isn't coming back," Angela explained. "He told me he never wants her to leave him, that he wants her to adopt him."

"Wow," Booth said. This boy was really attached to Brennan. He could kind of see that connection between them the more he thought about it. Brennan was so different with him than she was with work and colleagues.

"Put a pin in it for now," Cam said. "When it comes time, I'll help you explain it to him."

"Okay," Angela agreed. She wondered what experience Cam had with little children, but she didn't ask.

"So, you're going to pay the ransom, right?" Cam asked Booth.

"Even if I lose my job, yes," he answered.

"Hodgins is loaded," Zack said, finding his voice finally.

"Really?" Cam asked.

"Yes."

"How did Hodgins even get caught with Brennan?" Booth asked.

"He had something important to tell her that he found," Zack answered. "He ran after her when she left."

Booth was instantly going to the parking garage, and they followed. They found blood on the ground. Angela looked very sick after seeing it.

"All right. Find security footage. Get this place crawling with crime scene investigators. Now."

"Got it," Cam nodded.

"And you," Booth said to Zack. "I need you to be Bones."

"I don't know what that means," Zack stated, sounding exactly like Brennan.

"Just work," Cam interpreted for him. "Work this case like any other case, but go a bit faster."

"Okay," Zack nodded.

"I'll look at Hodgins's notes," Angela said. "See if I can find what he found. I understand his writing."

"And me?" Cam asked.

"Call Russ. See if he can come and look after Parker to keep him distracted. I'm going to contact the chairman of the Cantilever Group."

"Okay."

Everyone ran off to do their tasks. Booth found himself feeling so much dread and fear at the thought that he might never see Brennan or Hodgins again.

...

Brennan had finished making the incision in Hodgins's leg and wrapped it up. He had passed out from the pain. She felt bad for him to have had to experience such pain, but it had to be done. He had told her how crazy he was about Angela, and Brennan felt a little surprised by it. She had obviously missed it somehow. Then she started thinking about Parker. Did he know she was missing? He'd be panicking. She felt so sad at the thought of possibly never seeing him again. What would he do? Would Russ take him in? Would he be sent back into the system? She hadn't wanted that for him. Then she felt sucker punched. If Booth really was his father, he could take him, but he had no idea. She hadn't had them side by side again to see if she was wrong or not. She didn't want to because the irrational part of her wanted to adopt Parker and pretend she had never noticed the similarities. Now, she realized he should have the chance to find out because Parker deserved to have his father after everything he'd gone through. When she got out of there, and she hoped she would get out of there, she would tell him. She'd figure everything else out. All she cared about was Parker's well being. She wanted him happy and safe. She'd do whatever it took to do that for him.

...

Parker looked up at the man they brought in to see him. He recognized him from a picture back home.

"Parker, this is..." Angela started.

"Uncle Russ!" Parker finished for her. He grinned at the guy. Bones had told him about her brother. It made him wish he had a brother.

"That's right," Angela nodded.

"Hey, buddy," Russ said, going to sit beside him. "Temperance asked me to come and take you home for the night."

"Is she coming back?" Parker asked, afraid. Russ looked at Angela for help. He knew what was going on.

"She should be home by morning," Angela answered. She hated lying. Parker, however, seemed to see right through her.

"Something happened to her," he said. "Right? You're not telling me."

"Um," Angela tried.

"What happened to her?" Parker asked, his voice hitching up a notch. He got up from his chair and looked at both Russ and Angela.

"We are trying to find her," Angela said.

"She's missing?!" Parker shrieked. He ran then, and Angela chased after him with Russ on her heels.

"Parker!" she called. He found Booth and ran to him.

"Booth, where is Bones? Angela said she's missing," Parker said, tearing up. Booth glared at Angela, who gave him an apologetic look in return.

"He figured out something was wrong," she insisted.

"Where is she?" Parker asked Booth. "Are you gonna find her? Please find her. I love her. I need her."

"Okay, okay," Booth said, bending to pull Parker into his arms. "We are doing everything we can to find her."

"I don't want her to leave me," Parker sobbed. Booth felt the pull in his heart. He felt like crying a little himself.

"I don't either," he said. "But I need you to be brave and go with your uncle so we can work to find her. Okay?"

He pulled back from Parker a little to look at him. Parker's eyes and cheeks were wet.

"Promise?" he asked in a whisper. "Promise you'll find her?" Booth knew better than to promise such a thing when he didn't even know where Brennan was let alone the fact she had little time left before suffocating. But, he couldn't break this child's heart either. So he did the unthinkable.

"I promise," he answered. He could feel the shock from Angela and Russ at this, but he didn't care.

"Okay," Parker said, wiping at his face with his sleeve. "I'll go with Uncle Russ."

Booth gave the boy's arms one last reassuring squeeze before Russ took the boy's hand and led him out.

"Do you have any idea what you've done promising him something like that?" Angela asked accusingly.

"Yea, I do," Booth answered. He left her standing there then, going off to push Zack for answers. Angela hoped for his sake that they found Brennan because she had no idea how Parker would react if they didn't.

* * *

 **Stay tuned! The next chapter is almost finished so look for an update within the week!**


	9. Chapter 9

**As promised, a quick update! Happy Tuesday a.k.a. three days til the weekend!**

* * *

Brennan was fiddling with the horn, and it woke Hodgins up.

"Whazzup?" he said groggily.

"I was scared I had killed you," Brennan said, looking at him. "How's your leg?"

"So much better."

"Good."

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to hotwire the horn to be able to send a text message."

"There's service down here?"

"We get radio, so I'm saying yes," Brennan answered.

"You'll have a microsecond to do it. Put in a resistor."

"Good idea."

"So what do we say in such a short text? Goodbye? Thanks? Tootles? Nice knowing ya?" Hodgins asked.

"You are gonna analyze this dirt," Brennan started.

"Don't say dirt. I hate the word dirt," Hodgins interrupted.

"You're going to analyze the dirt," Brennan went on, ignoring him, "and you're gonna tell them where we are."

She handed him a scoopful of dirt, and he looked at it.

"Ash, nitrogen, sulfer," he muttered. He spit into it.

"Where are we?" Brennan prompted.

"I'd say Virginia."

"We need to be more specific."

"Give me your laser. I also need Benzophenone."

"Angela's perfume," Brennan said to him. "That's all that's in this car with that."

"Three bloody grand that cost me," Hodgins huffed. They'd already had that conversation earlier when he'd told her how he felt about Angela.

"I'll pay your for half when we get out of here."

"I never told you, but I'm rich."

"So am I."

"No, you're well off. I'm the only person left alive from the Cantilever Group."

"Then I won't worry about splitting the cost," Brennan replied. She poured it into the dirt, and he examined it further.

"Camera," he instructed, and she handed it to him.

"Well?" she asked.

"I know where we are," he answered. Brennan felt anticipation then and hope. They got it all set up, and Hodgins reassured her he had lightning fast thumbs. She pressed the horn while he sent the text, and all they could do was hope that it went through.

...

Booth had finished threatening Vega. He had been unsuccessful at getting ransom money before that. He was feeling helpless and angry when he found himself outside Brennan's apartment. He wanted to check on Parker for some reason.

"Hey," Russ said, opening the door. "Did you find her?"

"Not yet. I just...how is he?" Booth asked. Brennan cared a lot for this boy, which made Booth want to care a lot for this boy.

"Upset for a while. He eventually fell asleep," Russ answered. "I'm trying not to freak out."

"Me too," Booth agreed. He could see Parker sleeping on the couch where he crashed. Russ hadn't wanted to move him for fear of waking him. He was clutching one of Brennan's hoodies. The sight of it tugged on Booth's heartstrings.

"I just got her back, you know?" Russ said. "I can't lose her. Neither can he."

"I know," Booth nodded. His phone vibrated then, and he stared at it. Was he seeing things? Had he finally snapped? He was looking at a message from Brennan, and it made zero sense.

"What?" Russ asked.

"Does this mean anything to you?" he asked, showing Russ.

"That's from Temperance," Russ said, realizing.

"Yea."

"I'm sorry. I have no idea what it means."

"I gotta go," Booth said, rushing out without even saying goodbye. He looked at the message. It was numbers and one letter. He tried calling it to see if it was a phone number. Nothing happened. He tried calling Brennan's phone, but it went straight to voicemail. It was time to bring in the big guns from the lab.

...

Brennan had punctured the spare tire. Hodgins made a carbon dioxide scrubber from her camera. They were running out of air, and Brennan tried not to panic.

"I think we aren't gonna make it," Hodgins said.

"Booth will find us."

"You have a lot of faith in him."

"Not faith. I just have seen what he is capable of doing," she argued.

"I'm sorry, but we're buried alive with no idea if our message got out much less understood, and we have barely any air left. That's faith, baby."

She frowned at him.

"Sorry. Baby was a reflex there. Please don't fillet me with your knife again," Hodgins begged, but he was smiling a little. He got a tiny smile back from Brennan.

"The last thing I wanted to do was traumatize Parker again," Brennan said after a moment. "And that's exactly what will happen if I don't get out of here."

"You sure love that kid," Hodgins noted.

"I do."

"You gonna adopt him?"

"I want to," Brennan answered. _But it's complicated_. She left that part out.

"Well, let's keep our faith in Booth then," Hodgins suggested. "But if we don't get out of here, then we should probably write our goodbyes." He wanted to add to his letter to Angela that he'd already written. He had one for Zack and Cam too. He'd even composed a few sentences for Booth even though they weren't close.

"Okay," Brennan agreed, pulling out her book and ripping out a page for him and for her. She let him go first. She was thinking of what she wanted to say. She thought of Booth a lot, and she knew there was an attraction there. She thought of Parker. She decided then what she was going to write.

...

"Come on!" Booth shouted. "What does it mean?!"

"I'm trying," Zack said, flustered.

"Booth," Cam warned.

"We ran out of time. They have no air, but I know Bones and Hodgins. They will have figured something out. We have to find them!" Booth shouted. Angela was trying not to feel paralyzed by the clock saying zero on it.

"I...I can't figure it out," Zack said.

"Did you try calling it?" Angela suggested. Booth snorted.

"I already did all the stupid guy stuff. That's why I'm here at the Brain Factory," he answered.

"We need to look at this differently," Cam reasoned. "It's a message specific from one person to someone here. Who?"

"Easy," Booth said. "It's from Bones to me. We work together and have an understanding."

"It's numbers," Cam told him.

"And we all work together," Angela said. "Hodgins..."

"Right, Hodgins is in the car too," Cam interrupted. "They are buried alive, and Hodgins is about dirt, so the message is about dirt. But who is it to?"

"Hodgins is about dirt and Angela," Zack said. "So Angela."

"No," Angela said, getting it. "He's telling us about the dirt, so he is counting on you to figure out the numbers, Zack."

"Oh," Zack said, suddenly understanding. "Periodic table. The numbers." He started to think.

At this point, Vega came in with his associate to tell Booth they could not get more time from the Gravedigger. Booth ignored him, focusing on Zack, who was growing excited.

"Mascerals," he was saying. He was looking at a map now.

"Narrow it down for me," Booth instructed.

"1.4 is rare," Zack went on. He kept on muttering to himself.

"What does it mean?" Booth asked. "English please."

"It means he knows where they are," Angela answered just as Zack pointed to a specific point on the map.

"I know where they are," he echoed.

And everyone leaped into action.

...

"Blow us up," Hodgins said, observing what Brennan was doing. "That'll kill us for sure."

"So will suffocating," Brennan commented. She was going to use the airbags to blow a hole and try to crawl out. It was a huge risk, but she was willing to take it.

"Right. Well, let's do it," Hodgins said. "Better off going out with a bang anyway." Brennan finished hooking it all up and sat there for a moment, realizing what this could mean.

"If we are less than four feet under, we'll be free," she said.

"And if we're deeper?"

"Then we'll die."

"Awesome."

"You should get as far away from the blast as you can," Brennan suggested. He laughed.

"I already am. Come on back and join me," he said, offering his hand. Brennan moved to sit beside him. It was now or never.

"It's been a privilege, Dr. Brennan," Hodgins said, going to shake her hand. She hugged him tight instead. She didn't want to admit how scared she was, and neither did he. Then Hodgins got ready to set off the charge.

...

Booth and the others got to the quarry. He stood, searching. Parker's plea and face were right front and center in his mind. There was no way he was going back to that boy with bad news.

"Look for any signs of digging or tracks," he instructed the others. "Come on!"

He kept looking hard. Then, a puff of dirt rose in the air.

"There!" he shouted, running down the hill as fast as he could. He landed on his knees, digging furiously. The others joined him, and Booth found a hand in the dirt. He pulled, and Brennan came to the surface. She coughed.

"Hodgins," she said. Booth pulled her out of the way as Cam, Zack, and Angela dug for Hodgins.

"We got him," Booth said as they pulled Hodgins out, who was also coughing. "Bones, we got you."

Brennan felt like crying. She saw Angela kiss Hodgins. Cam and Zack were smiling and hugging him next. Brennan turned her head to see Booth looking at her. She felt the note in her back pocket and remembered the words she had written. He was right there. She could tell him everything right now.

"Parker loves you so much," Booth said. "He made me promise to bring you home. Bones, tell me you're gonna adopt him? He needs you to be his mom. I've never seen a child love someone as much as he loves you."

Everything died on her lips. Parker wanted her to be his mom. How could she be his mom if she let Booth take him away? Everything felt so dizzy and confusing. Booth was telling her to adopt Parker. She wanted to adopt Parker. Her head hurt.

"I'm going to adopt him," she said. Booth grinned and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you. I'm glad you're okay," he told her.

"Me too."

As much as it pained her to hurt him, it pained her much more to hurt Parker, and that she had swore she'd never do.

...

Booth refused to let Brennan out of his sight. She had to force him to wait outside her office while she changed into her extra clothes. She did not want Parker to see her like that. It was very early in the morning, and she was exhausted. She would be getting lots of rest that day. She'd probably keep Parker home from school too, not that he'd let her out of her sight she guessed.

"He is going to be so excited," Booth commented when she emerged from her office and they started walking. She had showered in the decontamination shower before changing.

"Oh, shoot," she said, patting her pants. "My keys. They're on my desk."

"I got 'em," Booth said.

"It's okay..." she started, but he was already running back for them. He saw her clothes bagged for evidence in the corner as he walked to her desk. He scooped up the keys and headed back to the door when he spied the piece of paper on the floor near the evidence bag. He bent to pick it up and got a bit nosy. He untucked it a little, saw his name, and smiled. She had written him a note. He tucked it into his pants pocket to read later. He'd sneak it back into her office afterwards. He was very curious to read what she would have written to him when thinking she was going to die.

"Thanks," Brennan said as he handed her the keys. He put his arm around her shoulder as they continued walking. He didn't care if Cam saw. There was something telling him that he and Cam weren't going to make it anyway, that it was more or less a short term relationship. He felt something when he was with Brennan. He just didn't know what it was yet.

...

"Tempe," Russ said, heaving a huge sigh of relief as she came through the door. They hugged tightly.

"Thanks for watching Parker," she said.

"You were buried alive," Russ replied. "Don't even worry about me. How are you?"

"I'm fine," she dismissed. She'd deal with her traumatic experience alone later. She did not like showing weakness to others let alone her brother or Booth.

"Really?" Russ asked in disbelief.

"Where is he?" she asked, getting to the point.

"Couch," Russ answered. He and Booth watched as Brennan went over to Parker and gently shook him awake. His eyes flew open, and he gasped.

"Bones!" he cried, throwing his arms around her neck. Brennan hugged him furiously. She did her best not to cry. She didn't want Parker to see her weak or vulnerable either.

"I'm here," she said.

"I was so scared," Parker said. "I thought I'd never see you again."

"Well, I'm here, and I'm never leaving you," Brennan promised. She felt the shot to the heart as she said this, avoiding looking at Booth. She knew how angry he was going to be when it all came out, but she would cross that bridge when she got there. It wasn't like she'd never let him have anything to do with Parker. She just really wanted to be his mom. They could figure it out. Maybe they could share custody. Brennan didn't want to worry about the details in that moment. She'd figure them out later. And again, she still didn't have solid proof Booth was Parker's father. She was guessing. Parker then let her go and raced over to Booth, who bent down to accept his hug too.

"You kept your promise," Parker said.

"I did," Booth agreed. Brennan avoided looking directly at both of them. She didn't want to start comparing their bone structures again. Not now. She knew it wasn't right, but she just couldn't bring herself to.

Parker came back to her, and she walked him to his room.

"Do I have to go to school today?" he asked.

"No," she shook her head. "You and I are taking the day off."

"Yippee!" he cried. He bounced into his bed, and Brennan got in and curled up behind him. He fell back asleep in no time, and Brennan found herself almost falling asleep. The images of being in her car kept appearing. Eventually, though, sleep won.

"Hey, Bones," Booth whispered, sticking his head into the room. He smiled upon seeing both Brennan and Parker sound asleep. He backed out and closed the door behind him.

"Sleeping?" Russ asked.

"Yea."

"Good."

"Tell her I'll call her later," Booth said. He shook Russ's hand, and he walked down to his SUV. He smiled as he pulled up the image of Brennan with Parker in his mind. Who would have thought she'd make such a good mother? He went home and changed and tried to get some shut eye. The letter from Brennan to him was forgotten. Without realizing, it had fallen out of his pocket as he had changed and skittered underneath his bed from the momentum. And there it remained. For now.

* * *

 **Stay tuned!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Message from I Love Kol Miakelson: I want to tell you all that your reviews made my days bearable as I'm struggling with my medical treatment and have several family members who also need medical help right now. Your reviews made me feel better at a time when I felt numb, and that I cannot thank you all enough, and I'm sorry for being absent, but we are trying to keep this story posted faster for you, our readers.**

 **Message from Fictionwriter91: I want to thank everyone too for sticking with us even after we have taken a while to get this story rolling again. Happy reading!**

* * *

Two days after being buried alive, Brennan put the call in to Tiffany. She set the adoption process in motion. She had to go through some things, but she knew she'd pass. She was a foster parent after all, and Parker had no relatives to try to claim him, which made him free and clear to adopt. Then, that twinge inside again would happen when she thought that.

"Hey," Angela said, coming into her apartment. They hugged. Parker bounced into view.

"Angela!" he cried. "Come see what I drew!"

"Okay," she smiled as he took her hand and led her to his "art studio." Brennan grinned. It was really a table set up in the corner of his room, but he loved it. Brennan busied herself with making his lunch until they came back.

"You're really getting good," Angela was saying, and Parker was beaming.

"Here," Brennan said, setting his sandwich on the plate and putting it on the table. He hopped up onto the chair and started to eat it hungrily.

"I'm good," Angela said when Brennan offered her something. They stood leaning against the counter.

"So, you and Hodgins," Brennan said. Angela blushed.

"Yes," she nodded.

"You told him you like him finally?!" Parker asked, overhearing.

"How did you know it was him?" Angela countered.

"He was very interested in the drawing I did of you on the swing that day. You also seemed different around him. I guessed," Parker shrugged.

 _Holy crap_ , Angela mouthed to Brennan, who chuckled.

"Well, yes," she said to Parker. "I did finally tell him I liked him."

"Good," Parker nodded. "I think he will make you happy."

"So," Angela said, turning to Brennan. "Have you...?"

"Yes," Brennan answered, knowing what she was asking. She didn't want Parker to know until it was final. She didn't want to risk upsetting him if it wasn't going to go through.

"I'm so happy for you," Angela said, hugging her again.

"Me too," Brennan laughed. "They said it ranges from six to 18 months since he's not a newborn and I'm a foster parent."

"I hope it's six months," Angela said.

"I hope it's faster, but yes, six months is the shortest time frame they gave."

"He makes you happy," Angela noted. "And that's a good thing."

Brennan didn't respond. She knew Angela was right. She feared losing Parker and losing that happiness. She feared it a lot.

...

Booth came over a bit more to see Parker after the whole Gravedigger incident. Brennan loved watching them play and laugh together, but it was also bittersweet for her. She kept telling herself they weren't related and forced herself to stop looking for similarities. Parker was Parker Wallace, not Parker Stinson. His parents died in a car accident. It wasn't possible he was Booth's son. But when they both had their heads turned towards her...

"Hey, Bones," Booth called. "Help me out here."

She snapped out of her thoughts and went to assist him as Parker kept beating him at Connect Four. Listening to Parker's giggles was the best part. Booth would exclaim every time Parker beat him, making the boy giggle even more.

"You okay, Bones?" Booth asked, seeing her face then. She forced a smile on her face.

"I'm fine," she answered. His eyes lingered on hers briefly before going back to the game. She knew he was concerned about her well-being after being buried alive. Everyone seemed to worry about that. She had herself convinced she was fine, but she wished the nightmares would stop. She wished she could also stop feeling so conflicted inside about this adoption process. When Booth was leaving, he made it even more complicated as he leaned into her and said:

"I'm so glad you're adopting him, Bones. He deserves a good home, a good family, and so do you."

"I know he does," she nodded. He smiled and then was gone. She kept thinking more and more about doing a DNA test to be sure, but she didn't want to be obvious about it. She thought about her letter to him she'd written while trapped in her car, and she was puzzled as to where it had gone. She guessed it had fallen out of her pocket somewhere. She felt kind of annoyed at that, but she had to let it go.

"Come play!" Parker called. Brennan smiled. Of course, he managed to beat her too.

 **Two Weeks Later**

"Hey, Russ," Brennan said when he walked into her office. They were working a new case, one where the victim had literally spilled his guts out. Booth had explained to her that it meant the victim was a rat. Not an actual rat, of course, but one who gave information like a spy.

"Hey," Russ replied. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," she answered. Why her brother was convinced she was unable to handle what had happened to her was beyond her reasoning.

"I'd be falling apart," Russ admitted. "If that happened to me."

"Well, it didn't," she said. "It happened to me. Why are you here? What's wrong?"

"Straight to the point," Russ laughed nervously. "Okay. Um...Dad called me."

"Dad called you," Brennan repeated. "It was him for sure?"

"Yea. He said you and I were in danger and then hung up on me."

"Well, lucky for me, I spend the majority of my time with a very well trained FBI agent who is also a sniper. I'm safe."

"Someone is watching me," Russ said quietly.

"And your evidence is?"

"I can feel it on the back of my neck. My sixth sense."

"That doesn't exist," Brennan dismissed. "But if you feel that strongly about it, stay with me for a few days."

"I can't leave work or Amy and the girls," Russ said. "But thank you."

"But what about your sixth sense?"

"Hold on," Russ said, holding out his hand. "You can't claim the sixth sense doesn't exist and then use it against me a second later."

"Looks like I can," she grinned, teasing. He gave her a look in return, but he was smiling a little.

"Thanks for the offer," he started.

"Take my keys. Stay the night and go home in the morning refreshed," she insisted. He sighed but took her keys.

"Hey, Bones, we gotta go," Booth said, coming in then. He exchanged pleasantries with Russ, who seemed to grow a nervous tic whenever Booth was in the room.

"I'll see you at your place," Russ said, heading out.

"I still put him on edge, don't I?" Booth asked Brennan as he propelled her out the door in front of him.

"Why are you abducting me again?" she demanded as her shoes skidded on the floor.

"I'm not abducting you. I'm taking you to work," he said. "Our vic is Garrett Delaney, ex FBI agent." Brennan decided not to argue because some arguments with Booth just didn't go anywhere and weren't worth the energy.

...

They arrived at Garrett Delaney's apartment to find the door locked and no one home. Brennan decided to try to open the door herself while Booth watched, amused.

"So, you're in danger according to your dad," Booth commented as she struggled.

"That's what Russ says. Dad is wanted by a lot of people and is a wanted criminal. Just because he says we are in danger doesn't mean we actually are."

"Here," Booth said, unable to watch her struggle anymore. He took the card off of her. "Let me show you how to do this."

"All right," she agreed, straightening and watching. He kicked the door in, giving her that boyish, impish look afterwards because he knew she'd be annoyed. She was a little. They went inside, and Brennan felt her stomach drop.

"Whoa," Booth said. "These are all of..."

"Russ," she finished for him. "He's been surveilling Russ."

"No, Bones," Booth corrected. "He's been hunting Russ."

They both stood and stared at all the photos.

...

"Great. Thank you," Brennan said into her phone before hanging up. She had Parker staying with his new babysitter, Ashley, for a while longer. She couldn't always have Angela do it, especially when they needed Angela at work. Parker seemed to like Ashley, who was in her early twenties and earning money for her college tuition. She had a small dog, which Parker was enraptured with.

"Parker okay?" Booth asked her, knowing she was talking to the babysitter.

"He's good. She's teaching him the piano."

"Cool."

Russ came into the conference room then out of breath.

"What's going on?" he asked. Then he halted in his tracks when he saw all the photos of himself and Amy spread out on the table.

"We found these in our dead victim's apartment," Brennan explained.

"So Dad was right. I am being watched."

"Hunted," Brennan corrected, using Booth's term from earlier.

"Hunted?" Russ echoed.

"He was working on getting a good vantage point in order to kill you," Booth said, clarifying.

"So...what now?" Russ asked.

"This hunter is dead," Booth answered.

"But stay with me for now," Brennan interrupted. "Just until it's safe for sure."

"Call Amy and tell her if anyone asks for you to tell them she doesn't know where you are," Booth finished. Russ looked as though his head was going to explode from everything.

"Okay," he said weakly. The photos were getting to him.

"We'll find out why Delaney was trying to kill you," Brennan promised. "Go back to my place and hang tight."

Russ just nodded and did as he was told.

...

The case got deeper and more involved. Booth learned of a dirty FBI agent and the whole case with Martin Beckett, that Brennan's parents were involved in the robbery of the bank where Martin had stored his evidence. Brennan went to check on Parker to let him know all was well and that he would be staying overnight with Ashley that night. She didn't want him around in case someone was still after Russ, who was at her apartment.

"You're safe with Booth, right?" Parker asked after hugging her. She had set down his bag of things for overnight.

"Yes," she answered. "I am always safe with Booth."

"I really like Booth," Parker said then. "If I could pick anyone to be my Dad, I'd pick him."

"Why's that?" Brennan asked, feeling it hit hard. She'd almost forgot about that whole dilemma.

"Because he's kind and funny and keeps his promises," Parker answered seriously. "If you married him, that would make him my Dad, right?"

"Oh," Brennan said, realizing where he was going with that. "Booth and I are just friends."

"Oh," Parker replied, looking a little sad. "Okay."

"Be good for Ashley," Brennan said, changing the subject. She hugged him again and left to get back to work. Parker's words echoed in her mind for the rest of the night.

...

Brennan was already on edge after Russ had almost been shot. Then they learned that Booth's boss's boss's boss, Director Kirby, was involved after Booth got suspended, and they learned that Kirby used to be a marine sniper. They had exhumed Gus Harper's body right before Booth had been suspended and learned he had been shot twice by a sniper. Brennan didn't think things could get any worse until she came to her apartment and found the enormous pool of blood on the floor.

"Russ. Oh my God, Russ," she whimpered. Her first instinct was to grab onto Booth and bury her face into his shoulder, and he held onto her tightly.

"It's all right," he said.

"No, it's not. That's a lot of blood Booth," Brennan said. Her heart clenched as she realized what could have happened if she had let Parker stay here with Russ.

"We don't even know if it's his. We'll get a sample," Booth explained. Hanging onto her was stirring up some interesting feelings inside of him. He didn't have time to interpret them, though, before they hurried after Brennan got a blood sample to take to Cam.

...

The blood wasn't Russ's, thankfully, but Brennan found herself in a different predicament as she sat talking to Father Coulter. She put it together that he was her father, Max Keenan, and she found herself feeling an entire range of emotions as she sat there looking at him while he told her about how they didn't turn in the evidence because her mother said it would get them killed, which it got her killed in the end anyway. He gave her the evidence.

"Dad!" Russ called, pulling up in a truck. Brennan stared at him. How could he have been in contact with their father all this time and not have told her the truth about Coulter? She was suddenly angry at him again.

"I gotta go," Max said.

"No, I can't let you," she insisted. She got the drop on him, but he recovered quickly and handcuffed her to the bench.

"I'm very sorry," he said. "If you can find a person that's trustworthy, then hang onto them, okay? Always remember that."

"Dad, come on!" Russ urged.

"I love you and am so proud of you," Max said to Brennan, kissing the top of her head. Brennan watched as her family abandoned her once again. Then, Booth showed up.

"Get in!" Russ yelled to Max.

"Take good care of her," Max said to Booth.

"You stop right now, or I'm shooting you," Booth ordered. Brennan wondered how he managed to get Caroline to lend him her car. She shouted his name repeatedly then. Max ignored Booth and got into the truck. Booth watched as they backed into Caroline's car and drove away.

"Aw come on," he whined. "I wasn't gonna chase them. That was very uncalled for."

"Booth!" Brennan shouted, feeling frustrated and annoyed and furious. He went over to uncuff her. "You let him get away!"

"I didn't actually want to shoot him," Booth admitted. "We'll get him another day, Bones."

She didn't respond as she fought the turmoil inside of her. All she wanted to do in that moment was get back to Parker. By putting her focus on not abandoning him, she could bury her feelings and hurt from being abandoned by her own family.

"There's more than one kind of family, Bones," Booth said then, making her look at him by putting his fingers under her chin. "You got that?"

She didn't know what to say. She knew what he was trying to explain, and she appreciated it.

"Thanks, Booth."

She just wanted to get home.

...

Brennan knew Booth felt bad for what happened. They hadn't talked much since. Thankfully, he was reinstated with the FBI after turning in the evidence her father had given her. Brennan put all her focus on Parker, and she tried not to think about her father or the fact he'd left her once again, taking Russ with him.

"You seem sad," Parker said one evening, not too long afterwards.

"I'm just tired," she replied. She didn't want to burden him with all of this.

"Try talking to your mom or dad," he suggested. "Talking to them might help you feel better. My friend Hunter said his parents always make him feel better after talking to them."

Brennan ached inside at this. It was so much to explain to a young boy. She tried to make it as simple as possible.

"My mother is dead," she said. "And my father ran away."

"Oh," Parker said, wrinkling his nose. "So you're kind of like me?"

"Yea," she agreed. "I'm kind of like you." In more ways than one. Tiffany had left her a message, and she was going to go and conduct an interview with the social worker. It was left up to the agency after that.

"But you'll never run away from me," Parker reasoned. "Right?"

"Right," Brennan nodded. "I will never abandon you, Parker."

He responded by hugging her tightly. It seemed they had this conversation often, but she wanted him to have that reassurance always. She didn't care if she had to say it a thousand times. She was not abandoning Parker. Ever.

* * *

 **Stay tuned! I think you guys will enjoy the next chapter :)**


	11. Chapter 11

Christmas was coming very soon, and Brennan was in planning mode for Parker. She wanted his first Christmas with her to be special. He was in school for the last day before the holidays started, and she wasn't currently working on a case, so she spent some time shopping and trying to find the perfect gifts for him. She wished the adoption process was faster so that she could give him that as his biggest gift, but she had to wait a while yet to have it finalized. At least things were in motion.

She was sitting in the diner after a few hours of shopping when Booth slid into the chair across from her.

"Hey," he said.

"Hi."

"Whatcha doing?"

"Taking a break."

"From?"

"Shopping."

"Oohh right. Christmas is in a couple of days," Booth nodded. "You doing something for Parker?"

"I tried to get him things that were meaningful and that he would enjoy," Brennan reasoned.

"Such as?" Booth prompted.

"A chemistry set, a microscope, a book on the solar system, some clothes," she started.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Booth said, stopping her. "You got him fun stuff too right?"

"Fun stuff?"

"Yea. Like trucks or toys or other five year old appropriate gifts?" Booth asked.

"He's not too young to start learning about science or chemistry," Brennan argued. "And everyone needs new clothes sometimes."

"He's five," Booth insisted.

"He'll be smart by the time he's ten," Brennan bragged. "Maybe even sooner."

"Please, please let me help you with this," Booth begged.

"Why?"

"Cos I want him to be happy with what he gets on Christmas day."

"You think he won't be happy?" Brennan asked, alarmed.

"I think he's gonna feel obligated to like what you got him but secretly wish he'd gotten the latest cool toy instead," Booth said.

"I'm already failing at this," Brennan sighed.

"No, no," Booth said, putting his hand on her arm. "Not failing. Just...in the wrong category."

"And you want to help me get in the right category?" she asked.

"Yes," he nodded. The more he kept thinking about his child that was out there somewhere, the more he felt the ache of what he could be doing for them for Christmas. He'd been continuing his search but to no avail. He hated to admit he had nothing to go on. He had to distract himself from it because it was driving him crazy. He was tagging along on Brennan's shopping because it was doing exactly that, distracting him. Plus, he had a very big soft spot for Parker himself.

"Fine," she caved. "You can help me."

Booth practically bounced out of his chair like an overexcited child as Brennan led the way to her car.

...

"Our first Christmas together," Hodgins said to Angela. They were hanging out at his place.

"Let's not go crazy with it," Angela suggested. "Keep it to under a hundred dollars maybe? Maybe even less?"

"But I want to pamper you," Hodgins said, a slight pout on his lips.

"I like being pampered, but I can't match your level of pamperness," she said. "Not financially anyway."

"Gifts from the heart then," Hodgins said.

"Deal," Angela agreed.

"Is Brennan hosting dinner?"

"I think so," she answered. "We're invited."

"Awesome."

Angela loved this time of year. She was feeling even more grateful that she'd taken the leap and gotten with Hodgins. Things were going well between them so far. She hoped they would continue to go well as time went on.

...

Brennan was skeptical as Booth brought her different items for Parker. She decided to trust him, though, as he seemed really into it.

"Oooohhh!" he crowed, taking off down another aisle. Brennan stopped the cart and waited at the end of the aisle for him. She had to pick up Parker from school soon, but she also wanted to hide his gifts at home first so he wouldn't see them.

"Booth, hurry up," she called. "I have to get Parker soon, and I want to go home first."

"This," Booth said, ignoring everything she just said and came back holding some type of robot. "This is perfect."

"I thought you said no science stuff?" she asked.

"A robot is not science."

"It kind of is."

"No it isn't."

"Wasn't it created by an inventor, which involved some kind of science?" she asked.

"Do not ruin this moment for me," he said.

"Okay," she replied, holding her hands up. "I just don't understand why your science stuff is better than mine."

"Cos it just is," Booth retorted.

"I really have to go now," Brennan insisted. "I have to take this stuff home before I pick up Parker."

"I can pick him up," Booth said. "I mean, if you want me to. I don't have to. I want to. I just thought I could help you out. And Parker likes me..." He stopped rambling after realizing he was doing it.

"You'd do that?" Brennan asked.

"Yea," Booth answered. "I mean, he's a cool kid, and we like each other, and I think he could use some, uh, male influence in his life."

Brennan couldn't help but flash back to when Parker said he wanted Booth to be his father. Perhaps Parker sensed he needed some male bonding time as well.

"Okay," she nodded. "You can pick him up. I'll call ahead and let them know you're coming."

"Thanks, Bones," he grinned. He tucked the toy robot into her cart with an impish smirk before leaving her standing there alone. She couldn't help herself. She started to laugh.

...

Parker was excited to see Booth at the end of the school day. His teacher had told him Booth was coming, and he was practically vibrating since. He really liked Booth.

"Hey, buddy!" Booth called, coming into the classroom.

"Hi!" Parker said back, rushing over with his backpack dragging a little. Booth picked it up for him.

"Bones said I could pick you up today," Booth said as they started to walk out.

"Is she at work?"

"No. She had some errands to do."

"Do we get to hang out?" Parker asked.

"I don't see why not," Booth answered as he received a text. Brennan told him she needed more time, which was perfect. He wrote that he'd take Parker for some ice cream. She gave the go ahead.

"How was your day?" Booth asked as they approached his SUV. He'd taken the booster seat from Brennan for Parker.

"It was good," Parker answered as he hopped in and Booth got him buckled up.

"So getting ice cream would make it great then?" Booth questioned, a smile growing on his face.

"Yes!"

"All right. Off we go then," Booth said, making Parker cheer in response. They made small talk until they arrived.

"Vanilla or chocolate?" Booth asked.

"Strawberry," Parker answered.

"Oh yea," Booth said. "Good choice." He always forgot about strawberry. He put in the order, and they went to sit while they waited. Parker folded his hands in front of him, making Booth chuckle to himself.

"Is Bones gonna be my new mom?" Parker asked after a moment. Booth knew that Brennan wasn't giving too much details in case something went wrong.

"I think she's working on it, buddy," Booth answered. "But it takes time."

"Waiting is hard," Parker commented.

"I agree."

Their ice cream had arrived by this point, so both of them started to eat.

"Do you like Bones?" Parker asked after a moment, making Booth almost choke. He cleared his airway before answering.

"As a friend, yes."

"Just friends?"

"Yea."

"Then why do you smell her hair?" Parker asked. Booth froze. How had the kid seen that? He was always so careful doing that. His mind was racing, trying to remember when he'd done it in front of Parker.

"I don't do that," Booth denied. He worked to keep his cheeks from flushing.

"I saw you do it the other day. A girl at school told me that when a man smells a woman's hair, he likes her."

Angela had warned Booth that Parker was perceptive into relationships. He had dismissed it as nothing serious. Until now. How old was this girl telling him this stuff? Booth wondered.

"I do like her, yes, but as a friend," Booth insisted. Parker tilted his head, looking at him.

"I don't think you're being honest with me," Parker said. "But I understand."

"Understand what?" Booth asked. He had to know.

"You're not ready," Parker shrugged.

"For what?"

"To tell her," Parker answered. "Angela wasn't ready to tell Hodgins either, but she did in the end. I know you'll be ready one day. I promise I won't say anything."

Booth couldn't believe his ears. Parker gave him a smile, and he forced himself to smile back. How Parker could tell that Booth was having feelings for Brennan was astounding. It made Booth feel bad about Cam and his relationship with her, but he was thinking of ending it soon because of other reasons, not just because of Brennan. He made himself focus on Parker instead of getting lost in his thoughts. He couldn't help but keep thinking about what Parker had said.

 _You'll be ready one day._

He knew it was true.

...

"Hi, Bones!" Parker cried as they came inside the apartment. He hugged her tightly before running off to put his bag away.

"Thanks," Brennan said to Booth. "I don't suppose you want to stick around and help me wrap everything since you got more things than I did."

"Um, sure," Booth agreed. He felt odd inside around her suddenly, but in a good way. He hung out while Brennan got Parker ready for bed, and when he was finally down, she returned.

"Okay," she said. "This way." He followed her to her bedroom, where she had hidden everything in her closet. Booth tried not to feel conscious about being in her bedroom.

"This is a switch for you," he noted. "Since last year you weren't big on celebrating it."

"Well, it's for Parker. I'd do anything for Parker," she said. They sat down on the floor as she pulled stuff out of the closet and began the wrapping procedure. Booth did his best, but his wrapping abilities weren't up to par according to Brennan. He ended up having tape stuck to each finger and waiting for her to pull it off to save her trying to hold the wrapping with her foot and pull the tape off with her hands.

"Do you need help with dinner? On Christmas?" Booth asked. He was enjoying the contact of her pulling the tape off his fingers.

"I would really appreciate it," Brennan admitted. "If you're offering."

"Of course," he nodded. He briefly thought of Cam and her going to her family's for Christmas. They hadn't discussed him going, but he knew he didn't really want to go.

"Thanks," she smiled.

"Any updates on the adoption process?" Booth asked. If he didn't know any better, he'd just seen her pause and look worried for a fraction of a second.

"Not yet. It's the holidays. I imagine come the New Year I'll hear something," Brennan said.

"Right. I'm sure it'll go smoothly," he assured her.

"I hope so."

When they finished wrapping, Brennan pulled off the remaining tape from his fingers and balled them together before throwing them out.

"Thanks for your help," she said. "Now I just have to get a tree."

"We can go tomorrow," he said. "I know a place."

"Are you sure you don't have to do anything with Cam?" Brennan asked. She'd known about their relationship ever since the whole headless witch in the woods case. She had to admit it surprised her and made her feel a tiny bit jealous.

"I don't believe so," he answered.

"Okay then."

"I'll pick you up at ten," he promised. They stood up at this point, and he went to leave. It was late now. He grabbed his coat by the door, and she stood there looking at him.

A part of him suddenly wanted to kiss her, and the other part of him knew that if he did, she'd run from him so fast. It would ruin their relationship. He held back the urge and smiled instead.

"Good night, Bones."

"Good night, Booth."

...

As promised, the trip to get the tree was eventful. Parker was ecstatic. They set it up right away in Brennan's apartment, and he helped to decorate as best as he could. It was two days before Christmas, and he was amping up with excitement.

"Is Santa really going to come this year?" he asked. Brennan shared a look with Booth. They both knew that last year, Santa had not come, which had confused and hurt Parker.

"Yea. He knows where you are now," Booth said. "You've stopped moving around."

"Really?" Parker asked hopefully.

"Yes," Brennan answered firmly. "He will be coming. We have an understanding, Santa and I."

"Oh boy," Parker said, wiggling with excitement.

Booth grinned as he handed the lights to Brennan, who was stretching to get them around the tree. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, but he didn't answer it. He knew it was Cam. She'd been understanding yet a little hurt when he said he was doing the tree today with Brennan.

"Can I put the star on?" Parker asked.

"Sure," Brennan nodded. Booth picked Parker up then, and she handed him the star. He placed it on perfectly.

"It's pretty," he said.

"Sure is," Booth agreed.

"I'm so happy," Parker said. Brennan felt her throat tighten. This was exactly what she had wanted, Parker to be happy. She was glad she had achieved her goal. She looked at Booth. He had been right. There were more ways of having a family than just one.

 **Christmas Day  
**

Brennan and Parker had their Christmas morning together, and Parker was a ball of excitement as he unwrapped his gifts from Santa and from Brennan. She was thrilled to see how happy he was with the microscope. She was going to rub it in Booth's face later. They spent the morning and early afternoon playing and laughing until she had to start dinner. Booth arrived around one in the afternoon.

"Merry Christmas!" Parker hollered, bouncing around. Booth had a few gifts in his arms and set them down before hugging the boy.

"Merry Christmas," he said back.

"Are those for me?" Parker asked.

"These three are," Booth answered. "This one's for Bones."

"Yippee!"

The shredding of paper began. He was in his glory, and Brennan watched as he and Booth started to set up one of the toys Booth had gotten him. Brennan had let him take three of the ones he'd picked out to give to Parker himself.

"Check out this microscope!" Parker said then. Booth gave Brennan a look of shock, and she stuck her tongue out at him. He oohhed and ahhed at it with Parker for a moment before standing up.

"All right," Booth said. "You're next, Bones."

"I'm cooking," she gestured.

"You can take a break," he insisted. He handed her a smaller box, and she caved and opened it. Inside was a gold, oval locket with a daffodil carved on it with her favorite picture of her and Parker inside.

"Booth," she said, taken aback. "How did you get that picture?"

"I took a copy of it one time," he said. "Well, Angela got it for me to do it."

"Thank you. It's beautiful," she said. She was genuinely touched. How had he known what her favorite flower was?

"Here," he said, moving to put it on her. She lifted her hair, feeling his fingers on the back of her neck. She felt that twinge she'd been starting to feel recently again. Then he was looking at her, and she was looking at him, and she had a strange feeling something was going to happen when Parker hopped into view.

"What did you get?" he asked.

"A locket," she answered, bending to show him. He shared his enthusiasm over how pretty it was. Whatever moment she'd had with Booth was gone, but she had a feeling it wasn't the last time they'd have one.

Then Booth started helping her cook. Then everyone else arrived, excluding Cam as she went to her family's place. Zack and Hodgins were playing with Parker while Angela assisted Brennan and Booth.

"How was your first Christmas with Hodgins?" Brennan asked Angela when they had a moment.

"It was amazing. We did gifts from the heart. He made me a necklace from some kind of rock he had, which is beautiful. I made him a drawing of us."

"That's nice."

"It was. It was perfect." They smiled at each other.

Then it was dinner, and everyone ate heartily and quickly. Then, it was all over. Angela had helped clean up. They'd visited until Parker grew sleepy. Brennan put him down, and everyone slowly left.

"What a day," Booth declared when it was just the two of them.

"It goes fast," Brennan noted.

"Sure does."

"Thank you for all your help."

"No problem."

"I hate to kick you out, but I'm exhausted," Brennan admitted. Booth laughed.

"It's all good," he said. "I'll see you at work."

"Sounds good," she nodded. They hugged, and of course he smelled her hair. It always smelled good. Then it was time to go. Booth felt almost strange leaving, like he was leaving his family behind. It stayed with him for the rest of the night.

 **A Week Later**

"Oh, darn," Cam said as her I.D. fell and skidded underneath Booth's bed. She got down to pull it out when she found the piece of paper. Booth was dressed now, and he was getting ready to go into work. Things between them had been different the past week. Cam wondered if they were going to break up soon. She sensed it was coming.

"What's that?" Booth asked, seeing the paper.

"It was under your bed," Cam answered. She handed it to him, and he opened it.

"Oh," he said, his tone surprised.

"What?" she asked.

"Just something I thought I'd lost. Thanks," he said, looking up at her.

"What does it say?"

"It's nothing."

Cam felt curious, but she knew better than to push.

"I'll see you later?" she said.

"Yea," he nodded. He waited until she was gone before reading the entire note.

 **"Dear Agent Booth, you are a confusing man. You are irrational and impulsive, superstitious and exasperating. You believe in ghosts and maybe even Santa Claus and because of you, I've started to see the universe differently. How is it possible that simply looking into your fine face gives me such joy? Why does it make me so happy that every time I try to sneak a peek at you, you're already looking at me. Like you, it makes no sense, and like you, it feels right. If I ever get out of here, I will find a time and place to tell you that you make my life messy and confusing and unfocused and irrational and wonderful. If I don't get out of here, there is something you need to know. There's no easy way to say it, so I'm just saying it. I think Parker might be your son. When I look at the two of you side by side, you share facial structure. I'm scared to tell you because I love Parker so much and want to be his mother more than anything, but if I can't be there for him, then you can be. Please get a DNA test. Even if you're not his father, please adopt him. Don't let him get lost in the system like I did. Bones."**

"Oh my God," Booth said. "What? _What?!_ "

His hand were shaking now. Parker could be his son? What?! He sat on the edge of his bed before he fainted. Then he felt a rise of anger in his chest. Brennan knew he could be Parker's father and wasn't telling him? What was that about? The more he thought of it, the angrier he got. She knew he was searching for his child. She knew he was hitting dead ends everywhere. Scared or not, she shouldn't be keeping that from him. Why wouldn't she tell him?

He got to his feet suddenly. He was going to go find out.

* * *

 **Of course, things have to hit the fan. How will it all get sorted out? You'll just have to hang in there and wait and see for what we've got in store!**

 **With all the reviews mentioning character bashing and judgment etc, please be assured that we the writers will not be doing that. Yes, Booth is going to be upset but that is due to emotions. It will get sorted out, and there WILL be a happy ending. Please wait for our next chapter before assuming the worst. If you have read any of my/our other stories, you will know I/we are B &B all the way. Thank you, and please be kind to each other in reviews. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Just to be clear, we are not lawyers or cops. We do the best we can with research. Also, this is fiction and meant to be entertaining (and a way for us writers to implement self care and cope with everything in our lives on top of this virus stuff). We try to be accurate as best as we can. Please be kind both to us and to those who review this story. We don't want this story to cause fights or issues among the readers. It's just a story after all :)**

 **Things to remember: We are not doing any bashing of any characters. Our endgame is always Booth & Brennan (see our other stories if you need reassurance). **

**Happy reading!**

* * *

Brennan couldn't stop thinking about Booth potentially being Parker's father. The way he and Parker interacted with each other was so natural. She also kept thinking about Christmas and how meaningful it had been spending it with Booth. She was at the diner and contemplating on what to do. She knew this would torment her forever if she did not find out for sure, even though she knew how well she was at identifying people based on their bone structure. She was positive Booth was the father after seeing them together so much. She had to stop denying it to herself.

She reached for her phone.

...

Booth did not find her at home. He was back in his SUV heading for the diner when he saw she had texted him.

 **I need to talk to you about something important,** it said. **Meet me at the diner. I'll be waiting.**

He paused, feeling his emotions trying to take over. The shock and disbelief over Parker possibly being his son was overwhelming. The more he thought about it, the more he saw Rebecca's features in Parker's face.

"Breathe," he told himself. "Just breathe. Talk to her. Just talk."

He put the SUV in gear and drove to meet Brennan.

...

Brennan could tell something was wrong with Booth when he came inside the diner. He spotted her and made his way to where she was sitting and sat across from her.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"What did you want to talk about?" he countered, his voice a little clipped.

Brennan surveyed him carefully. Something had obviously upset him. It made what she had to say even harder. She didn't want to upset him further.

"Maybe this isn't a good time," she noted.

"Bones, just spit it out," he said.

"Are you mad at me?"

"Depends on what you're going to tell me," he answered. Brennan nodded slowly.

"Okay," she said. "Okay. Booth, I want to test Parker to see if he's your son."

Booth sat stunned. He had not expected her to just blurt that out. Had she known he'd found her letter? Did she have eyes on him somehow?

"What?" he asked, playing along.

"I...I think he's your son," she went on. "I was going to tell you after I got buried alive. I even wrote a letter and everything saying it, but then you told me to adopt him because he loved me so much, and I didn't know how to tell you after that."

Booth felt that letter burning a hole in his pocket. He knew he shouldn't have taken it, and she would probably be upset to know he had. After all, she had bared her soul to him. He hadn't forgotten that part of the note. It just got buried under the whole "Parker might be your son" thing.

"Oh," he said.

"I know it's a big shock, and I'm so sorry I didn't tell you sooner," Brennan said. "I just...I really wanted to adopt him, Booth. I love that boy so much. But I also know that you're looking for your child, and Parker could be him."

"What if he is?" Booth asked. "Are you still going to adopt him?"

Brennan was quiet for a moment.

"I'd like to," she finally said.

"No way," Booth said quickly. "Bones, if he's my son, he should be with me."

"Booth, please," she pleaded. "Parker has been moved around so much. He needs stability. We can figure out something for visitation..."

"Visitation?" Booth interrupted. "Bones, he's my son."

"We don't know that for sure," she corrected. "I want to test his DNA against yours."

Booth rubbed his face hard, thinking.

"So let me get this straight. You want to find out if I'm his father, but you won't let me take him into my custody if he is?"

"I haven't worked everything out yet," she started.

"If he's my son, I have every right to be his father," Booth said. They both looked at each other intensely then.

"If you're his father, you'd want to do what is best for him, and right now that is stability."

Booth felt his temper flaring, so he stood up. He didn't want to make a scene in the diner.

"Booth," Brennan tried.

"I can't talk to you right now," he said flatly. He didn't want to yell at her. He didn't want to lose his cool. He left her sitting there looking desolate as he went back to his SUV and drove away.

...

Angela stared at Brennan after her story was finished.

"I don't believe it," she said. "Bren, what are you gonna do?"

"I don't know. He's mad, I can tell. I couldn't move forward with this adoption without telling him, but I think he's going to try to stop it."

"Can he?" Angela asked.

"I don't know. I'm not a lawyer," Brennan answered. "Legally, I'm his guardian."

"But Booth didn't know Parker was his son. Doesn't the legal right go to the biological parent if they're stable and of sound mind?"

"I'm really hoping that Booth sees how Parker needs stability," Brennan said, sighing. "He can spend as much time with Parker as he wants. I'm not denying him that. When Parker gets older, he can make the decision of who to live with. He's just so young and vulnerable right now. I just want what is best for Parker."

"Are you going to tell him Booth is his father?"

"If the DNA test says so, then yes, I will. He deserves to know that."

"And what if he wants to live with Booth now?" Angela asked. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I know I'm asking really tough questions, but I just want you to brace yourself for what could happen."

"If Parker wants to live with Booth now, then I won't stand in the way," Brennan said. She felt her heart break a little at this, but she didn't want to cause Parker any unnecessary pain. Angela gave her a hug then. Brennan wondered where Booth was and what he was doing.

...

"Caroline, tell me I can stop this thing," Booth said. Caroline was looking at him.

"Have you had the DNA test done yet?"

"No..."

"Do that then we'll talk."

"But hypothetically, if Parker is my son, can I stop the adoption?" Booth asked.

"Social workers usually look out for the best interest of the child," Caroline answered. "If you can give him what he needs and show you're stable and sane, you might get custody."

"Might?"

"They might decide Parker should stay with what is familiar."

Booth stood there thinking about Parker. He saw the boy's face and how it lit up whenever Brennan was in the room. He remembered how anxious he was for Brennan to be brought safely home.

"If I intervene, will it make Parker hate me?" Booth asked Caroline after a moment. She looked at him sympathetically.

"What do you think?"

"I don't know anymore. I'm so confused," Booth admitted.

"Go get the DNA test first, cherie. Then worry about what to do after that," Caroline encouraged.

"Okay," Booth nodded. He could do that.

...

Brennan looked up when Booth entered her office. She felt apprehension and braced herself for some possible yelling.

"Here," he said, holding out his swab sample. He had Cam do it for him.

"I'm sorry," Brennan said again.

"Let's just find out if I'm his father and go from there," Booth said, echoing Caroline. Brennan took the sample and nodded. She already had one from Parker. She had given a different reason for swabbing his cheek, though. Parker thought they were doing some sort of medical check up. She'd tell him the truth if Booth was his father.

Booth didn't say anything further as he walked out of her office.

...

Brennan watched Parker eat his dinner that night. She had submitted the samples, and now all she could do was wait. She had called Tiffany and asked for the adoption process to be put on hold. She made that decision in hopes that Booth would see she wasn't trying to hurt him. She also wanted to know more before figuring out if that was still the plan or not.

"Is Booth coming over?" Parker asked hopefully.

"Not tonight," she answered.

"Why not?"

"He just has some things to do," Brennan explained. Parker took this information with a nod. He didn't question it. Brennan prepared herself for the worst. She loved Parker, but she wanted him to be happy. If living with Booth made him happy, then she'd deal with it. She was used to losing people she cared about. She hoped that if Booth got custody, he'd still let her see Parker.

...

Booth mulled over that letter for hours. She was telling him she had feelings for him. He had all kinds of emotions around this. He knew he would be ending things with Cam soon. He knew he had some kind of feeling for Brennan. He didn't want to lose that amidst this whole thing. He also felt frustrated that she didn't feel safe enough to just tell him her suspicions from the beginning. Then he had to give her credit for telling him even though she knew he would potentially fight for Parker. He knew he had to eventually tell her he had her letter. He had no idea what her reaction to that would be.

His brain honestly wanted to just explode.

 **Days Later**

Brennan was looking into Parker's file. She decided she was going to dig deeper into the Wallace family. If Rebecca was Parker's mother, then how come they were listed as his biological parents? She knew she needed help, so she went to call Booth. She hesitated, wondering how receptive he'd be of her. She decided to risk it.

"What's up? Did the results come in?" Booth asked, answering.

"Not yet. I'm looking into Parker's file. Can you look up his supposed biological parents for me?" she questioned.

"I can. Names?"

"Jeanine and Alan Wallace."

"Thanks. I'll call with news."

"Okay."

They hung up, and Brennan sat there waiting for him to call back.

...

Booth found out where the Wallace family had lived and decided to go talk to their neighbor, Grace Parkins. She looked surprised when she saw him standing there at her door, like she never got visitors or something.

"Hi," Booth said. "I'm looking into the crash that killed Jeanine and Alan Wallace. I just wondered what you could tell me about them?"

"Do you think they were murdered?" Grace asked after seeing Booth's badge. "That's usually why FBI gets involved."  
"I just wanted to ask about how they were as neighbors."

"Oh. Well...they were quiet. I spoke with Jeanine maybe three times? They kept to themselves a lot."

"And their child?" Booth prompted. There was a pause, and something flickered in Grace's eyes that made Booth realize she knew something.

"The child? I didn't know they had one," Grace said. Booth looked at her carefully.

"You're lying. You know something," he pointed out.

"I don't. I swear."

"Grace, they're dead. Whatever it is you know about their child, now is the time to tell me."

Grace hesitated, but she didn't want to go to jail either.

"They straight up claimed him as their own," Grace explained. "They said they had found an abandoned child in a stroller in the park and just decided to make him theirs."

"That is so wrong on so many levels," Booth commented, feeling sick. "And you were just okay with their story?"

"I know," Grace said, hanging her head. "I'm ashamed of myself. I just knew the system would take the boy, and he seemed happy with them. Why make him suffer if he was happy?"

"Why didn't you tell authorities?" Booth demanded. Her words were hitting too close to home, and he shifted uncomfortably.  
"Because. No one came forward about a missing baby. If they had, I would have made them turn him in. They seemed like good parents. I saw them all together once outside. Jeanine was so happy. They only had him three months before they died."

"You should have said something," Booth said, feeling angry again. "They still stole him, Grace. Good parents or not, that was wrong."

"I'm sorry. Am I in trouble?"

"You were an accessory to a kidnapping."

"So that's a yes."

"I'm afraid so."

"Okay," Grace sighed, holding out her arms. "Cuff me."

Booth did so gladly. Then he took her in to get dealt with. He didn't particularly care what happened to her. It just felt good to be doing something to avenge Parker's kidnapping. He hoped he would never have to see her again.

...

Brennan answered the phone eagerly upon seeing Booth's name.

"Well?" she asked.

"They stole him from the park," Booth answered. "They gave him fake papers. They claimed him as their own. Their neighbor knew it and did nothing. She claimed she thought Parker was better off with the Wallace couple than the foster system since no one reported a missing baby."

"He ended up there anyway," Brennan noted.

"So that tells me that Rebecca was kidnapped from a park, leaving Parker behind."

"His dream," Brennan said suddenly.

"What?"

"Parker has a recurring dream of reaching for a woman who is being pulled away from him."

"Aw man," Booth said.

Brennan fiddled with the papers in front of her. She waited for a break in their conversation before bringing it up.

"The results are here," she said. There was a pause.

"Why didn't you lead with that?" he asked.

"I wanted to hear about the Wallace couple."

"What does it say, Bones?" Booth asked. She cleared her throat, looking at the paper.

"Booth, you're Parker's biological father."


	13. Chapter 13

Brennan sat and watched Parker sleep. She and Booth had agreed to tell Parker together, which would be happening the next day. Brennan felt so unsure about the future and what was going to happen. She tried not to think about losing Parker too much. Logically, she knew Booth was right, that he is the father and should have his child. Emotionally, she so badly wanted to be Parker's mother.

She remembered Parker saying she wished they could both be his parents. She fiddled with her fingers. She did have feelings for Booth. There could be a possibility for them to get together. Then again, that would mean being vulnerable to potential hurt, and she didn't know if she could do it. He was also with Cam anyway.

Where was that letter anyway? She frowned. She had chalked it up to being lost, but what if it hadn't gotten lost? What if someone had found it? Would they have told Booth? Why wouldn't they have brought it back to her? No, it was just lost. Things had been a whirlwind after she was rescued from the buried car.

Parker stirred in his sleep, making Brennan snap her focus onto him. She felt irritated at the person who left their radio on in her neighbor's apartment. They were renovating over there, and Brennan made a note to tell them to remember to turn off their music when they left. The hip hop pounding rhythm was getting to be too much. She knew it was disturbing Parker's sleep too.

She eventually got up and went to try to sleep herself. Tomorrow was a big day.

...

Her phone ringing made her lurch awake. It was early enough.

"Brennan."

"Hey, we got a case."

"Now?"

"Yea. Looks like we're gonna have to hold off on talking to Parker for a bit," Booth said.

"Okay," she agreed. "Where am I meeting you?"

"The jail."

"See you soon."

They hung up, and Brennan got out of bed, got dressed, and went to wake Parker. It was a Saturday, so that meant she needed a babysitter.

"Good morning," she said, seeing Parker had his eyes open. They brightened at the sound of her voice.

"Are we gonna do something fun today?" he asked hopefully.

"I have to go to work, but I'm sure Ashley can take you somewhere."

"I wanna be with you, though," he said, pouting a little. Brennan smiled.

"I know, but we can spend time together when I'm done."

"Okay."

"Get ready. I have to go very soon."

Parker hopped out of bed and rushed to change. Brennan went to call Ashley, who promised to be there soon. Brennan got something for Parker to eat, and he came out dressed a few minutes later. He got up onto the chair and started eating.

"You're gonna see Booth today right?" he asked through mouthfuls.

"Yes."

"Tell him I said hi."

"I will."

Brennan loved how Parker had bonded with Booth. She put away her other thoughts of Booth taking Parker away as she got ready to leave. When Ashley arrived, she gave Parker a kiss on the head and left.

...

Brennan was in her office trying to stay calm. She didn't want this to be happening right now. She still couldn't believe it was happening.

Howard Epps had escaped prison.

That creep was out there, and she knew it was only a matter of time before he targeted her and her team. She had gone with Booth to speak with Howard's ex wife, and she still felt Booth should have been more forceful about putting her into protection. It made her think about Parker, but Ashley had assured her they were having fun and at the apartment. Brennan hadn't mentioned Howard because she didn't want to freak Ashley out. She'd just stay in constant communication. True to her word, she had told Booth that Parker had said hello to him, and Booth had smiled at that. She wondered where he was now.

She got up and went to look for Angela. She stopped at the doorway of her office, having caught sight of Booth and Cam standing together. Cam kissed him, and they rested their foreheads together. Brennan couldn't pretend to not feel the knife in her gut at this. She swallowed. There was no point in thinking about being with Booth when he was with someone else. She knew that. She saw Angela heading towards her then.

"Hey," Angela said. "I've got our victim." She held up the drawing for Brennan to see. They went into Brennan's office to discuss further. Angela looked at the board behind Brennan and sighed.

"Seven victims," she said. "And he's branched out from young, blonde girls."

"He won't stay out there for long," Brennan assured her.

"I'm seriously considering using some sick time," Angela said.

"But we need you here. Hodgins needs you," Brennan argued.

"Low blow, Brennan. Low blow," Angela said, but she was smiling a little. "How do you handle the fear then?"

"Oh, I have this," Brennan said, pulling her gun out of her purse and putting it on the desk.

"Holy shit," Angela said, surprised. "That's like a gun you see in the movies."

"What is that?" Booth asked, making them both turn to see him standing there. Brennan wondered how long he had been standing there.

"My gun," Brennan answered. "I got it in the mall. I believe it's bigger than yours."

"It's how you handle it that counts," Booth retorted.

"I disagree," Brennan said.

"I'm with Brennan. The bigger the gun, the better."

"You're definitely not helping," Booth said, pointing at Angela.

"I think this is a private conversation," Angela said with a smile, leaving. Brennan was left looking at Booth, who was shaking his head.

"You wanna put that away before everyone else goes all 007 on us?" Booth said, finally looking at her.

She made a face at him, but she put it back in her purse as her phone rang. Booth could tell from her face that it was Howard. She signaled him to trace the call, which he did.

When it was over, Brennan relayed to Booth what Howard had said about growing as a human being, that there was always a means to the end, that everything that happened next was Brennan's fault, and how Brennan was to use her head. That was when Booth got the message about where Howard had made the call. When they arrived to the pay phone, Brennan found a glass jar with something white in it.

"What the hell is that?" Booth asked.

Brennan just shook her head.

...

It was bone. Hodgins found spices on it, which meant Howard was giving more clues. Then Angela screamed, making them all rush to her office to find her staring at a box on her desk. Inside was a heart, and underneath the heart was the article about the Jeffersonian where Angela had been called the heart of the operation.

"He's getting to me through my friends," Brennan said. "He told me whatever happened next would be my fault."

Hodgins was raging. He wanted to kill Howard. He went back to his spices, trying to figure it out. Cam promised that nothing would happen, and then she went to check on security and find out how that package even got in there.

"Are you okay?" Brennan asked Angela, who shook her head.

"He's a sicko," she said. "What if he tries to kill me?"

"He won't succeed," Brennan assured her. "He's going to make a mistake, Ange. We will get him."

Angela nodded and went to find Hodgins, and Brennan went back to work. She texted Ashley again, who said they were still doing okay. She met back up with Cam, and they looked at the heart. Booth joined them, explaining how Howard had given the package to a biker to bring to the Jeffersonian.

"Hey," Hodgins said, approaching.

"Is Angela okay?" Cam asked.

"Yea, just really pissed. She helped me figure out that these spices are a recipe."

"For?" Booth asked.

"Curry," Hodgins answered.

"Indian food," Brennan said, realizing with a jolt.

"Howard's ex wife. Her last address was in Little India over a curry shop."

He and Brennan tore out of there, but Brennan already knew what they were going to find, and it made her feel very sick.

...

"I told you we should have forced her into protection," Brennan said to Booth as they watched Cam examine Caroline Epps's head.

"Yea," Booth agreed absently. He wanted to throw up. "Cam, can you speed this along? What if there's something inside the head?"

"I am following protocol," Cam insisted. "I'm not throwing that out the window."

"I just really want him back in his cage," Booth said.

"Oh, God," Cam said then.

"What?" Brennan asked. Then she noticed it too. "Oh."

"What? 'Oh' what? Tell me," Booth demanded.

"Caroline was alive when he cut her head off," Brennan answered. Booth felt everything he'd eaten that day try to surface. He swallowed it down a few times.

"He's upped his game to torture," Brennan noted.

"So let's torture him back," Booth said, getting an idea.

"And how are you going to do that?" she asked.

"I'm gonna bring his mother in. His profile shows he is emotionally attached to her and wrote her every single day. If he thinks he's responsible for putting her in jail, then it will throw him off his game," Booth explained.

"Let's go then," Brennan urged, and the two of them hurried off to bring in Howard's mother.

...

They were driving in the car after speaking with Marion Epps. Booth was still trying to get her smell out of his nose.

"Parker could have ended up with a foster parent like her," Brennan said then. Booth looked at her.

"But he didn't. He got you."

"I know, but there were signs of physical abuse that I can only assume came from his previous foster parents."

"What?!" Booth exclaimed. He stopped himself from slamming on the brakes, but barely. "Why didn't you tell me this?"

"I didn't want anyone making him feel bad about it," Brennan reasoned. "It took a bit for him to trust that I wouldn't hurt him."

"I wouldn't have made him feel bad about it," Booth argued. "Geez, Bones. I can't believe anyone would ever want to hurt him."

"I can't either," she admitted.

"What, uh...what signs were there?" he asked. He didn't know why he wanted to know. It would only make him furious he knew.

"Let's talk about this later," Brennan suggested.

"Okay," he reluctantly agreed.

"Um, are we being followed?" Brennan asked, noticing the car behind them.

"Two agents at all times, yup," Booth nodded. "I don't care how big that gun of yours is." He saw Cam was calling him then, so he answered. "What's up, Cam?"

"There was something inserted in Caroline's ear," she said. "A token for a child's ride at Hillside Park."

Brennan felt her heart leap into her throat at this. She pulled out her phone.

"What? What is it?" Booth asked her, noticing.

"Ashley? Where are you?" she said into her phone, ignoring Booth.

"Parker wanted to go to the park since it was Saturday and it was what you guys did every Saturday," Ashley answered.

"Bones, talk to me," Booth said.

"Parker's at that park right now," Brennan said. "Ashley, where is Parker?" Booth jerked the wheel, making his SUV do a u-turn. He turned his sirens on and raced towards the park.

"He's on the merry go round..."

"Get him off. Now."

"What's going on...?"

"Now, Ashley!" Brennan shouted, hanging up. They arrived at the park to find Ashley wringing her hands and calling Parker's name. Brennan ran towards her.

"Where is he?!" she yelled, panicking.

"I can't find him," Ashley said. "I'm so sorry. Oh, God. I'm sorry!"

"PARKER!" Brennan was shrieking now. She raced around "PARKER!"

"Parker!" Booth shouted, running as well. Ashley was calling for him too. Booth spied the boy by the ice cream vendor then. "Bones! Over there!"

Brennan ran in that direction, coming to a skidding halt next to Parker, who looked up at her, surprised. Booth was there in an instant as well. Ashley stood off to the side, watching.

"You're here," Parker said. "I thought you were work-" He was cut off as Brennan fell to her knees and grabbed him into her arms tightly. Then she pulled back and saw his ice cream cone.

"I need that," she said, taking it from him.

"Why?"

"Who gave this to you?"

"A man."

"I can't let you have it. Parker, you know you can't take things from strangers or talk to them," she said a little too fiercely. Parker looked hurt then.

"He said he was your friend. He was nice."

"He lied to you, Parker," Brennan said. "He isn't my friend. He is trying to hurt me. And I'll get you another ice cream. I promise."

"Parker," Booth said then. "What did the man say to you?"

"He said to make sure I used my napkin," Parker answered, frowning. Booth took it from Brennan then, reading it.

"What does it say?" Brennan asked.

"'Hello, my name is Parker. Ask me how to solve this case,'" Booth read.

"What did the man look like?" Brennan asked Parker.

"I don't know. He was just a man."

"Okay. Ashley, please take Parker home," Brennan said.

"Did he say anything else?" Booth asked.

"No," Parker shook his head. "He didn't."

"These agents are going to go with you," Booth said to Ashley. "They'll stay with you for now."

"Okay," Ashley nodded, looking terrified.

"Bones," Parker said a little tearfully. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"I'm going to be just fine," Brennan promised.

"Booth too?"

"I'll be all right," Booth assured him. He bent to hug Parker then, and he felt so many different emotions when he felt the boy's arms around his neck.

"Take care of Bones," Parker said into his ear. "She needs you."

Booth felt a little startled, but then again, the boy seemed to pick up on how Booth felt about Brennan.

"I will."

Parker let him go and took Ashley's hand then, and they walked with the FBI agents to Ashley's car.

"If something had happened to him, I would have never forgiven myself," Brennan said. "I had no idea they would come here today. Ashley didn't tell me or else I would have told her to stay home."

"It's okay, Bones. He's safe. He's okay. We'll finish this," Booth promised. Brennan nodded. She would finish it because no way was anyone going to be a threat to Parker again on her watch.

...

After the incident with Parker, Brennan had gotten impatient with Cam even though she herself knew about the protocols. Booth had commanded Cam to get a move on. As she stood in the hospital looking at Cam barely hanging onto life, she felt terrible.

"This is my fault," she said when Booth came to stand next to her. He had come from the room and felt very scared about Cam's future.

"I am just as much to blame. I put on the pressure too."

"Hodgins and Zack are trying to figure out the poison."

"Well, he's fine, so it's not a gas," Booth said. "I know that much."

Brennan hoped her team would work fast. She didn't want Cam to die.

...

Of course her team would follow through. They had gone to Parker & Parker Leather Goods, which Zack had figured out. Howard had given Brennan the clue of how the body knows what the head doesn't, so they all knew Caroline's body would be there. It had taken a lot for Brennan to not unleash on Howard when he had called her again. She knew Parker was still safe with Ashley at her apartment with the agents. Zack and Booth, however, suffered some minor injuries when Zack had unknowingly set off a trigger for a bomb. Booth had yanked Zack out of the way of the blast, and they put the fake news out there that Zack had died and that Booth was critically injured for Howard to see. They got the poison, though, and Hodgins was working to figure it out. He came in now, interrupting their talk about heroism and who was brave etc. to tell them he had figured it out.

"Methyl bromide mixed with plaster dust," he said. "Treatment is racemic epinephrine. I already called the hospital, and they started an I.V. drip."

"You should go," Brennan said to Booth.

"Yea, I'm heading over there. You going home to sleep?"

"Yes."

"Parker?"

"I've asked Ashley to keep him at her place tonight," Brennan answered. Something was niggling at her mind, though, from when Hodgins mentioned plaster dust. She was extra grateful she had thought to ask Ashley earlier to take Parker to her place.

"There's a team sitting on your apartment," Booth told her. "Don't worry about Epps."

"I won't," Brennan answered. She had a plan developing in her mind.

...

Booth was with Cam and asking how she was when she mentioned plaster dust. He froze, thinking.

"What?" Cam asked.

"Plaster dust," he answered. "Drywall." Brennan had mentioned the apartment next to hers was getting renovated.

"What about it?"

"I gotta go," he said. "I'll be back."

"I'm not going anywhere," Cam replied as he tore out of there.

...

Booth came into Brennan's apartment carefully and quietly to find Howard standing in front of Brennan, who had her big gun aimed at his face.

"It's over, Howie," he said. "Nowhere to go."

"Please let me shoot him," Brennan said to Booth.

"You knew he was here," Booth said, realizing.

"It made sense," she shrugged.

"How did you find out?" Howard asked.

"Plaster dust and the fact my neighbor's apartment is being renovated," Brennan answered. "You're not really that smart after all."

"Just one minute alone with Dr. Brennan," Howard said, moving slowly towards the balcony. "That's it."

"Bring it," Brennan said.

"Don't poke the dragon," Booth told her. "What are you doing, Howie? Balcony is about fifty feet up. You can't make that jump."

"I refuse to go back to jail," Howard said.

"Are you sure I can't shoot him?" Brennan asked.

"Drop the crowbar," Booth ordered Howard, who threw it at a lamp before running to the balcony. Booth grabbed Howard's hand before he could fall, and he was struggling to bring him back up.

"I can't reach, Booth," Brennan said, trying.

Howard was looking at Booth with such a look that made Booth want to drop him, but he also wanted the man to rot in prison.

"Looks like you're a killer now," Howard said.

"Oh, I'm nothing like you," Booth replied.

"Be honest. You don't want someone like me in society."

"I'm. Not. Like. You," Booth said through gritted teeth.

Howard gave a whimper then as Booth slowly lost his grip. He struggled to hang on, but he lost his hold, and Howard fell to his death. Booth stared down at his body, feeling awful inside.

"Come on," Brennan said, pulling him into the apartment. "You tried. Everyone saw. You were trying to save him."

It didn't make Booth feel any better.

 **The Next Day**

Booth found Brennan at the park with Parker, and he stopped to watch as Parker went around on the merry go round.

"Hey," he said finally, announcing himself. Brennan turned to see him.

"Hi."

"Is he okay?"

"I think I made him afraid of this place, so I'm making sure he gets over that fear as quick as possible."

"He is smiling," Booth pointed out.

"He is," she nodded.

They were quiet for a moment before Booth spoke again.

"I broke up with Cam."

"You did?" Brennan asked, feeling a little hopeful.

"What happened to her was because we had a personal relationship. In our job, we can't cross that line, you know? It only endangers the other person."

"Then by your logic, Hodgins and Angela should break up too," Brennan pointed out.

Booth thought for a moment before realizing she had a point.

"All right. Honestly? We were coming to an end with our relationship anyway," Booth admitted.

"Why?"

"It just didn't feel right, you know?" he said, looking at her. Brennan nodded slowly.

"Are you ready to tell Parker?" she asked as the ride stopped and Parker came towards them.

"Yea," he nodded. "Let's do it."

"Hey, Parker, let's go sit over here and talk for a bit," Brennan said, leading him to a bench. Booth stayed standing. He didn't really know what to do with himself.

"You look serious," Parker said. "Am I in trouble again?"

"You were never in trouble, Parker, and no, it's nothing like that."

"Then what is it?"

"You know you were in foster care because you didn't have any parents, right?" Brennan asked. She knew they would have explained that to him.

"Yes."

"Well, we...we found your father."

"You did?" Parker asked, his eyes widening. He knew his mother was in Heaven. Brennan had the talk about Rebecca not too long ago, and she hadn't argued her logic about religion with him when he said she was in Heaven. He was too young to get into that argument.

"Yes."

"Who is he? Where is he? Can I see him?" Parker asked, growing excited. Brennan looked at Booth then, who looked incredibly nervous and excited himself.

"Right there," Brennan said, gesturing. Parker swung his head to see Booth, and he looked confused at first.

"Booth's my Dad?" he asked, looking back at Brennan.

"Yes. We just found out."

Parker flew off the bench and launched himself at Booth, who grunted from the sudden impact but picked him up all the same.

"My wish came true!" Parker cried. "You're my Daddy! You and Bones can be my parents!"

Brennan felt the tug at her heart. She knew Parker wouldn't quite understand that she and Booth weren't together as a couple or married. She'd explain it to him as best as she could later.

"We're gonna figure it out, Parker," Booth said, looking at Brennan then. "We are going to figure it out."

Brennan smiled, knowing that they would. She tried not to feel crushed inside at the fact she knew she had to cancel the adoption. Seeing how happy Parker was with Booth made her confirm the fact she had to figure something else out, which she knew all along, and they would. They most definitely would.

Even if that meant making the slow transfer of Parker moving in with Booth.


	14. Chapter 14

Brennan looked up with Booth came into the diner. He was smiling.

"Did he get to school okay?" she asked. It was a week after they had told Parker that Booth was his father. Brennan and Booth had met with her social worker, Janet, to discuss the plan for Parker. They started off with one day visit on the weekend and one overnight visit during the week. It would increase from there as more time went on.

"Well, we had to avoid the aliens at the apartment and then drive a drag race to win the chance to pass the dragon. We solved the dragon's riddle, and after that we dodged falling balls of fire but not before I picked a drink that could have been poison, but it wasn't, and I got him there in one piece."

"I don't understand what you're saying."

"I'm being sarcastic, Bones."

"Oh."

"Yes, I got him to school okay," Booth said. "He is very bright."

"He is," Brennan agreed.

Booth sat own and ordered a coffee, which came quickly. He didn't tell Brennan that Parker did nothing but talk about Brennan and how wonderful she was, not that Booth needed reminding. It seemed the boy was determined to get his father and his foster mother together by being not so subtle and constantly putting her in his face. Booth snuck peeks at Brennan as he sipped his coffee. She was engrossed in the newspaper for some reason.

He tapped his fingers on the table. Here was his chance to bring up her note, but for whatever reason, he just couldn't. It was like he was waiting for the perfect moment, but he didn't know when that would be. He was also a little afraid of her reaction, if he was honest.

"Am I hurting you?" he asked suddenly, this new thought having burst into his mind like a freight train.

"Excuse me?" she said, confused.

"By doing this. Am I hurting you?"

"By wanting to have custody of your son?"

"Yea."

Brennan lowered the paper, looking thoughtful.

"I don't know how to answer that," she said. If she was honest with him, she'd tell him that yes, it was killing her inside, but Parker was his son, so what right did she have to adopt him? She knew better than to get attached to the boy. Something always took away the things or people that meant the most to her.

"Yes, you do," he pointed at her. "I am hurting you. I can see it in your eyes."

"I'll get over it," she promised.

"Bones," Booth said. "If I wasn't around, there would be no other person in the world who I'd want to raise him."

"But you are around," she said logically.

"Yes, but I would still value your input. I'll be a single father. He needs some kind of female role model."

"Are you suggesting we co-parent Parker?" she asked.

"In a way," he answered, nodding. "I guess I am."

"I think it would confuse him," Brennan said, shaking her head. "We aren't together. I'm not his parent. I'm a foster parent. I did my job, and now he's going to be with you." She stood up then.

"Bones," Booth tried, standing too. He threw down some bills for the coffee and chased after her. "Wait."

"You're not making this better," she said once they were outside. "Stop trying. I've accepted it."

Booth's phone rang then, and he answered since Brennan was already walking down the street. Much to his annoyance, an ice cream truck came alongside him with its music blaring in his ear. He tried to get the driver to turn it off, but he only got arguing in return. In the end, Booth let his anger and impatience win, and he pulled out his gun and shot the speaker right out of the clown's mouth on top of the ice cream truck. The driver gaped at him, and Brennan turned to see him standing there on his phone, gun in hand. At least he'd gotten the flight number from the person on the other end.

"Booth," Brennan said, coming slowly towards him. "That was a very bad thing you just did."

"Yea, well. It's quiet now, right?" Booth asked, pocketing his phone and walking away. Brennan stood there watching, stunned.

...

"Do you realize that you've probably just screwed up your chances of getting custody of Parker?" Caroline asked Booth furiously, later that day. Booth was half paying attention. He was sulking because he had to see a shrink and Brennan was off in Florida with Sully. He had a bad feeling about those two.

"Do you?!" Caroline hollered, banging her hand on the desk and making him jump.

"How?"

"Oh, let's see. A deranged FBI agent just shot an unanimous object in public because he got annoyed. I think the social worker is gonna have a huge problem with that!" Caroline practically shouted.

"They wouldn't," Booth said, going a bit pale. "What does that have to do with my ability to parent?"

"If you can't control your temper and your impulsivity to shoot things, then who knows what you might do if Parker pisses you off," Caroline growled. "That is where their minds will go."

"You can't be serious..."

"I'm dead serious, Booth," Caroline said. "You better get to that therapist and talk your sweet little ass off and make this all better or else you'll be labeled unfit for parenting."

"Okay, okay," Booth said, getting up. It was time to meet this therapist, Gordon Gordon Wyatt. He had no idea what to expect. What kind of person had two of the same name? He wasn't exactly fond of the idea of spilling his guts to someone he didn't know at all. As he walked, he kept thinking about what Caroline just said. It scared the hell out of him.

...

Brennan picked up Parker from Ashley's house after work. She kept finding herself thinking about Sully. She didn't mind working with him, and he was pleasant to look at.

"Are you mad that I like being with Dad?" Parker asked when they entered the apartment.

"What? Goodness, no," Brennan answered, bending down to his level. "Whatever would make you think that?"

"You guys don't spend as much time together anymore like you used to," Parker pointed out."And you don't talk much. I just wondered."

"I'm not mad at all," Brennan promised, giving him a hug. "I'm glad you like being with him."

"I like being with you too."

"Parker..." Brennan warned, knowing where this was going.

"It could work," Parker insisted.

"I'm sorry, but it won't," Brennan replied. She wondered why Parker was so persistent in his mission to get Brennan to be with Booth. "Now get ready for bed."

"Okay."

She watched him scurry off. She wondered how many nights she'd have left with him. Pounding on her door made her flinch, and she went to answer it.

"Booth?" she said, seeing him. "What's wrong?"

"Janet suspended my visits," he said, angry.

"What? Why?"

"Because I shot a damn clown!"

"Shhh, Parker's just down the hall," she said, going out and shutting the door behind her. "It wasn't a real clown, though."

"It might as well have been," Booth growled.

"When can you see him again?"

"Oh, I can see him, but you have to supervise," he answered.

"I'll speak with her. You're a good parent, Booth. She can't do this."

"Maybe it's God telling me something," Booth said, leaning against the wall.

"Like what?" Brennan asked cautiously.

"I don't know. Maybe I'm not meant to be his father."

"Booth, you are his father. God can't change DNA," Brennan pointed out.

"I feel like this is a sign, though."

"You've been under a lot of stress. Breaking up with Cam, and Howard dying..."

"Stop," Booth ordered, holding up his hand. She shut her mouth quickly.

"How did the session go today?" she asked instead.

"It was...confusing," Booth answered. "He wants to see me tomorrow."

"It's okay. Sully and I have the case handled."

"How is Sully?"

"He's good," Brennan answered. A small flush hit her cheeks, and it did not go unnoticed by Booth.

"Oh."

Brennan cleared her throat. Yes, she kind of fancied Sully. It was only fair. Booth had made it clear he wasn't about to date a coworker again anytime soon. It was foolish to think he'd change his mind. If only she'd stop comparing the two of them, though.

"Bones?" Parker called.

"I gotta go."

"Okay."

The door opened, and Parker poked his head out.

"Dad!" he cried.

"Hey, buddy," Booth waved, smiling. "Just having a quick chat with Bones. I'm heading out now."

"Okay. Good night," Parker said, going to hug him. Booth hugged him back and released him. Parker gave him a meaningful look, but Booth just gave a slight shake of his head in return. He waved to them both and went down the stairs slowly. He knew he'd have to take this therapy seriously because it was not only his job on the line, having custody of his son was too.

...

 _"Did you release him? Or did he fall from your grasp? Was he your fiftieth kill? Or were you just there when he died?"_

 _"I don't know. I had him, then I lost him. Something happened in the middle."_

 _"Saying you don't know is relinquishing control, which makes me believe you."_

These words rolled around in Booth's mind after he left his session with Gordon. He didn't really know. He thought back to that night often enough, but it was foggy to him whenever he thought about what made Howard Epps fall to his death. He was tired of thinking about it. He decided he wanted some pie to help him digest Gordon's talk. When he got there, though, he noticed Brennan and Sully sitting across from each other talking and laughing. He paused, watching. There seemed to be this spark flying back and forth between them, and it made him feel gutted inside.

He didn't even get out of his car. He simply started it up again and backed out of his spot. He took one last look at them before driving away.

 **A Few Days Later**

Brennan was thinking about Sully like she seemed to always be doing lately. After their pie date, they had seen each other a few more times. She hadn't introduced him to Parker yet because she didn't want to if this wasn't going to be serious. She didn't need Parker getting attached and then having Sully take off.

"Good morning," Janet smiled as Brennan walked into her office. "What can I do for you?"

"Here," Brennan said, handing her a letter. "You'll find my statement regarding Seeley Booth in there."

"For what?"

"You shouldn't stop him from seeing his son. He made a mistake, Ms. Chambers, but it shouldn't cost him the right to see his son."

"He can see him. You just have to be there to supervise."

"Booth does not need to be supervised," Brennan said firmly. "He is father material. He is more than capable to raise his son. Read the letter."

She turned to walk away then, leaving Janet standing there flabbergasted.

...

Brennan was teaching Parker how to play crokinole when her phone rang. She was laughing as Parker shot his piece too hard, bouncing off her forehead.

"Sorry!" he exclaimed.

"It's all right," she smiled. She shot her piece quickly (it cleared the board entirely of all pieces) before answering her phone. "Brennan."

She watched Parker stick his tongue out slightly in the corner of his mouth as he concentrated. He was trying to get his piece into the center for 50 points. Brennan had to admit that he was very good at the game in such a short time.

"Thank you," Booth said.

"For what?"

"Janet called me and said I have visitation back. She said I had you to thank, so I'm thanking you."

"It was nothing," she dismissed.

"Well, I appreciate it all the same. Gordon is going to talk to her tomorrow too to let her know I'm not insane."

"That'll help."

"Is that Dad?" Parker asked, looking at her then. "Hi, Dad!"

"Parker says hi."

"Hi back."

"He says hi back," Brennan told Parker, who beamed. He took his shot then and crowed when it hit the center.

"Yes!"

"What's he doing?" Booth asked.

"Whupping me at crokinole," Brennan sighed.

"My fingers always hurt from that game after."

"Mine too."

They were quiet for a moment, and Brennan took her shot while waiting for Booth to speak next. She missed the center, and Parker worked to remove her piece from the board as she adjusted the phone in her hand.

"How's Sully?" Booth finally asked. Brennan wondered when he would bring it up.

"He's good."

"Good."

"Hey, if you want to pick up Parker Friday night, you can have him all day Saturday."

"You sure you're okay with that? It's more than what they allotted..."

"They said one evening and one weekend day. Why can't they be adjacent?"

"I guess so, yea."

"Thank you. It saves me asking Ashley to watch him."

"What are you doing?"

"Plans with our mutual friend," Brennan answered. She didn't even want to say Sully's name so as not to get Parker curious about it. She'd tell him when the time was right.

"Ah. Okay."

"I should go, though. I can't really play while on the phone," Brennan said.

"Yea, yea. Sure. I'll talk to you later."

"Talk to you later."

Brennan hung up, and she took Parker's piece off the board without batting an eye.

"Aw, man!" Parker groaned, smacking his hand against his forehead and making Brennan laugh.

She did her best to not think about Booth and instead focused on Sully. There was no point in thinking about something that would never happen.

 **Days Later**

Booth felt unnerved. Sully had just asked him advice on how to get with Brennan, and it was not sitting well with him at all. Sully had hit a sore spot when he said Booth wasn't after her. He wasn't, not really. He just liked her from afar. She wasn't interested in being with him, so why would he force something that would end up being a disaster?

No, instead he was left to give another man information on how to be with Brennan, which he managed to flounder his way out of. He was such an idiot sometimes.

...

Brennan had deduced that it was up to her to make the first move. She was watching Sully play basketball again. She sat farther away from the two women who had made the "Peanut" comments last time. They had solved their case, so Booth had Parker for the night. Brennan was planning on inviting Sully over. She knew that after seeing Parker's toys, she would have to explain. She didn't care. She knew Sully would be completely fine with it.

When the game was over, she rushed over to him and kissed him. For a brief moment, Booth popped into her mind, but she shoved him out with such force she almost lost track of what she was doing.

"Wow," Sully said with a big smile. "I must have really impressed you tonight."

"You did."

"You know, there is no rush..." he started, but she kissed him again.

He didn't argue.

...

"I like your funny socks better," Parker said, gesturing. Booth looked down. He had put them back on after Gordon had told him to go back to his small, rebellious ways, and he had gladly done so. Being monotone was just too drab for him.

"Me too," Booth agreed.

They were playing a racing video game together, and Booth was losing. Parker laughed gleefully as he passed the finish line in first place.

"I could be a NASCAR racer," he gloated.

"Don't rub it in," Booth retorted, but he was smiling. He enjoyed these moments with his son. Parker was going to be six soon. He was going to speak with Brennan about doing something for Parker's birthday.

"I think Bones likes somebody," Parker said suddenly.

"Why do you think that?"

"She is looking at her phone and smiling more than she used to. I think she is talking to someone she likes on it."

"Oh."

"If you don't get ready soon, you'll be too late," Parker told Booth, looking at him then. He didn't have to ask the boy what he was talking about. He already knew.

...

"Okay," Sully said. "I gotta know. The toys?"

Brennan smiled. They were looking at each other, lying on their sides in her bed.

"I'm a foster parent."

"Seriously? Wow!" he said. "That is so cool."

"You think so?"

"Yea! You'd make a great foster mom."

"Thank you."

"So...where is he?"

"Well, he's with his father."

"Wait," Sully said, confused. "If he has a father, why is he with you?"

"We found his father while he was staying with me. We are making the transition."

"Oh. That must be so hard for you," Sully said, touching her face gently.

"It is," Brennan nodded. She left out the fact that it was Booth's son. She didn't know why.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I knew the risks of being a foster parent."

"Doesn't make it any easier, though."

Brennan didn't respond. She didn't want to talk about it anymore. She turned to her other side and let him hold her from behind. She just wanted to clear her mind of it. She didn't want to start crying again. It was easier to hide it from Parker than it would be to hide it from Sully. It was too early to be that vulnerable with him, but she had this strange feeling that she could be that vulnerable with Sully. It was a thought she kept in her mind as they fell asleep together.

 **The Next Day**

Booth dropped Parker off at school, and after watching the boy skip inside and greet his friends eagerly, he drove to the Jeffersonian. He went to wait in Brennan's office, putting his feet up on her desk. He wondered if she had been with Sully the night before. They seemed to spend a bit of time together. He tried not to think about it. He hated to admit how jealous he was of Sully.

"Congrats, Brennan," Angela's voice said, and he tensed. Congrats for what?

Brennan entered her office then and stopped short upon seeing him in her chair. It cut into her thoughts about how Sully had asked if he could meet Parker one day. She hadn't really given him a straight answer.

"Those are very vivid socks," she commented.

"Well apparently the tie, the socks, and the belt buckle are ways that I'm channeling my socioeconomic rage," he told her.

"You know how much I hate psychology," she said.

"In other words, they help me deal with irritation towards the privileged people on a day to day basis," Booth finished.

Brennan had stopped listening because seeing him there made her feel guilty, and she didn't know why she felt guilty. She had no obligation towards Booth. They were not together. She could do what she wished with whom she wished. It made no sense to her, though, when she blurted it out.

"I slept with Sully. Last night."

The shock in his eyes. She caught it. She also saw the disappointment. This surprised her, but she dismissed it as bad lighting in her office. Booth did not like her that way. He had said it himself: no romances between partners as it ends badly.

"Oh. I thought, uh, you already..."

"Nope. Last night."

"Okay. That's...that's not really my business," he said.

"We're partners. And you told me about your socks," she gestured.

"Because sex and socks are the same thing," Booth said, taking his feet off her desk at this point.

"Do we have a case or are you just hanging around for no apparent reason?" she asked, changing the subject. She felt awkward now.

"A case. I'll fill you in. Oh, and wear some protective gear. It's messy."

"Okay," she nodded, going for her boots.

Booth waited while pretending not to care that Brennan had slept with Sully the night before.

It's just that it really did bug him after all.

He pulled out her note to him and tucked it under her day timer on her desk. All thoughts of telling her he'd found it went out the window. She was with Sully now. He had missed his chance, and he didn't think he'd get another one. She'd think someone had recognized her handwriting and put it there for her, or she might think she had put it there herself. He forced a smile when she came back out, ready to go.

He had really wanted to tell her.

* * *

 **Of course we're not done with that letter. Stay tuned!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A Week Later**

It had been an emotional past few days. Brennan was stretched out on her couch, Parker asleep in the other room. She was just sitting there, not doing anything and desperately trying not to think.

Someone had copied her book and committed three murders. Someone had used her ideas and made them real. Then they discovered it wasn't just someone but three people. Her fans. This made her feel responsible. If she hadn't written the damn book, then they wouldn't have done it. Or, as Booth pointed out, they would have just found a different way. In any case, she felt sick inside.

"You wanna talk about it?" Sully had asked. They had made up after getting into it about her safety. It was the one thing that irritated her, someone thinking she couldn't handle herself.

"No," she had shook her head. "I just want to go home."

That's where she was now. Booth had offered to take Parker, but she needed him around for the normalcy. She needed the bedtime routine, the book reading, and the hug and kiss goodnight. She needed it, and yet she knew she had to stop needing it because soon it was going to be gone.

Brennan was so not handling the idea of Parker leaving very well. She knew he had to, though, but it didn't make things any better.

She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Sully wanted to meet Parker, and she had agreed. It had been a couple of weeks, and she didn't like hiding things from Parker. She gathered he seemed smart enough to understand what dating was. He'd already asked her who she was talking to on the phone so much and why she was leaving him with Ashley an extra night a week.

The tears prickled against her eyes again. She dreaded being all alone in this apartment again.

Then she looked down at the paper in her hands and wondered for the thousandth time who had found her note to Booth and left it on her desk. It was horrifying to think that Booth himself had read it, but he would have said something surely. She knew he was incapable of helping himself when it came to certain matters, which included revealing feelings about something...or someone. If he did read it, he must think she was foolish. Why else would he put it back? Why wouldn't he tell her he read it? He obviously didn't feel the same way and wanted to spare her the hurt and rejection, and that somehow hurt even more.

She was tired of feeling like such a muddled mess.

 **The Next Morning**

"I love Saturdays," Parker said happily. He was shoveling his after-lunch-yogurt into his mouth as fast as he could. They were going to the park like always. Booth was spending all day Sunday with him.

"Me too," Brennan agreed. She thought of what Saturdays used to be for her growing up. They usually started with cartoons and then some manner of outdoor adventure, whether it be on a bicycle or on foot. She shoved down these thoughts since they always made her think of her father, and that she wasn't about to do.

Today was a bit different, though. Today, Sully was going to meet them there and meet Parker. When they got ready to go, Brennan knelt down in front of Parker, straightening out his jacket.

"One of my friends is going to meet us there at some point," she began, looking at him. "I think you'll like him. His name is Sully."

"Friend? Or 'friend?'" Parker asked, using quotes. It never ceased to amaze her what would come out of that child's mouth.

"What do you mean?" she countered, playing dumb.

"Is he your boyfriend?"

Brennan and Sully hadn't really talked about labels, but for the sake of not making things complicated for a young boy to understand, she just nodded.

"Sort of. Yes."

"Oh."

She could hear the disappointment in his voice, and she knew that he wanted her to be with Booth, but he was going to have to move on from that.

"I think you'll like him, if you give him a chance."

"We'll see," Parker said breezily, reaching for the door knob and opening the door to go out. Brennan followed, locking it behind them. She felt nervous, and she didn't understand why.

...

Sully knew how important Parker was to Brennan. As he waited to meet the boy, he felt nervous. He knew he couldn't try too hard, and he knew he had to be careful with his interactions with Brennan. He didn't have much experience around young children, but it couldn't be that hard.

He caught sight of them by the swings, the boy pumping hard and laughing, and he inhaled slowly before exhaling just as slow. Here went nothing.

Brennan looked up as he walked towards them a few moments later. She smiled, and he saw Parker studying him carefully while sitting in the now motionless swing.

"Hi!" he said brightly. "You must be Parker."

"I am," Parker nodded carefully.

"I'm Sully."

"Nice to meet you," Parker said politely. Sully chuckled nervously.

"Nice to meet you too," he nodded. "You mind?" He gestured to the swing beside Parker, who shrugged.

"Go ahead."

Brennan watched all of this, feeling unsure of what would happen next. Parker was looking at Brennan with almost an accusatory glance, like she was betraying Booth by being with Sully. She didn't think this was fair. If Booth hadn't said he wasn't dating coworkers anymore...

"I bet," Sully said suddenly, swinging hard, "that I can jump to that green, plastic shovel right there."

Brennan turned to look and saw that it was quite the leap. She raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"What do you bet?" Parker asked. "If you lose?"

"One chocolate sundae," Sully answered. Parker's interest perked at this. Brennan smiled. Of course Sully would use dessert to win over a child. How had she not seen that coming?

"Okay!" Parker nodded emphatically. Sully swung harder, and then he launched himself. It was impressive, Brennan would give him that, but he was nowhere near the shovel when he landed in a heap.

"Oi," he groaned as Parker laughed. "It's been a long time since I've swing jumped."

Parker swung and jumped next, landing a little farther than Sully, but not by much.

"Did it always hurt this much?" Sully asked, wincing as he tried to get up. Brennan offered him her hand, and he took it. He groaned loudly as he stood up.

"Probably," she answered, smiling still.

"Can we go get that sundae now?" Parker asked hopefully.

"Sure," Sully nodded. He needed to sit down anyway. They made their way to Brennan's car. Parker started chatting about how he swing jumped at school with his friends. Then Sully told him he played basketball, which started a whole debate about a certain basketball team on TV. Brennan tuned them out by that point. She wasn't entirely interested in sports, but she was glad they were bonding a little.

Maybe Parker would be okay with her not being with Booth after all.

 **The Next Day**

"You have to do something," Parker said to Booth. They were both staring at a chess board, Booth trying to teach Parker how to play.

"I'm still thinking," Booth said, a little affronted. "Chess moves take time to think about."

"Not this," Parker said impatiently. "With Bones!"

"What about her?"

"She's with Sully! He's a lot nicer than I thought he would be, and that's not good," Parker answered.

"How is that not good?" Booth asked, confused.

"Because she needs to be with you, not him," Parker explained. "He's nice, but you're nicer, and if you don't do something, she will marry him, and you'll lose your chance."

"Whoa, buddy," Booth said, holding out his hand. "We've gone over this..."

"And, every time, you're not getting it," Parker finished for him.

"What am I not getting?"

"That you and Bones are perfect together."

Booth resisted heaving a sigh. His son had a point, but it was too late. There was no changing things now.

"Sometimes, in life, we don't always get what we want," Booth started.

"Why not?"

"It's just how it is, and it's okay. Bones deserves to be happy, and if she's happy with Sully, then I'm happy for her."

"No, you're not," Parker scoffed. Booth really wasn't, but he wasn't about to admit that out loud.

"I am."

"Please. I am a kid, but I'm not dumb," Parker commented.

"No, you're not. You're very smart," Booth agreed.

"Which is how I know you're lying."

Booth did sigh this time. All focus on chess was right out the window now. He folded his hands and rested his chin on them, looking at Parker.

"I love how dedicated you are to getting us together, but you have to stop," he said. "I'm sorry, Parker, but it's not going to happen."

Parker looked like he was going to argue, but he closed his mouth, nodding instead.

"It's cos you're not there yet," he said simply. "I get it."

Booth gave an amused chuckle, but he let it go. Eventually Parker would understand. Eventually his feelings for Brennan would go away. Eventually they'd all just move on with life and work and everything and not feel so tortured all the time. Eventually.

 **A Week Later**

"What do you want to do?" Angela asked, her voice hushed. They were sitting in Brennan's office where Brennan had just told her that Sully wanted to sail around the world for a year, and he wanted her to go with him. They had finished their case, the one with the boneless bride in the river. She had been dragged into it by Booth, interrupting her vacation.

"I...I don't know," Brennan admitted. Sully had made excellent, valid points. Parker was going to live with his father full time very soon (she hadn't told him Booth was the father. She hadn't wanted Sully to get mad at Booth for some reason, which he really shouldn't, but you never knew), and work was getting to be a bit much emotion wise. What would it hurt to take a year off and go sailing with a man who clearly cared for her a lot, who might even love her? They had spent a lot of time together the past few weeks, and he got along so easily with Parker. He encouraged her to foster again when they returned, that Parker didn't have to be the only child she fostered. She knew that, but hearing him suggest it was a good reminder.

"I think it wouldn't be such a terrible idea," Angela said. "I mean, Parker is going to live with Booth..."

"I know," Brennan cut her off sharply. Then she softened her face. "I'm sorry. It's all just still a bit sharp for me, losing Parker."

"You're not losing him," Angela pointed out. "He's just going to be with his father."

"I know. I do. He's just moving out, not leaving me," Brennan said, feeling emotional again. Why, then, did it feel like she was losing him? It was getting even closer to Parker moving out, and she wasn't handling it very well. She kept thinking about her parents, even though this situation was nowhere near the same, and it brought up all these old feelings and hurts that she had thought she had buried. She knew, though, that this was what it meant to be a foster parent. You had a child for a while and then they left. That's how it worked.

Angela wasn't sure what else to say, so she just did what she did best. She hugged her best friend and tried to convey how sorry she was that Brennan was once again feeling abandoned by someone she loved, even if it wasn't intentional, or true, this time.

...

Booth looked up when Sully came in for coffee. Word in the office was that Sully was retiring, and this made Booth curious.

"How's it going?" he asked.

"Great," Sully beamed. "It's my last day!"

"Really?"

"Yup! I'm off to travel the world."

"Wow. Where are you going?"

"I am going to sail the high seas, Booth," Sully said. "Can you just see it?" He waved his outstretched hand from left to right. "The sunset, the waves...the stars? It'll be fantastic."

"Good for you," Booth nodded, feeling this sudden spark of hope inside. If Sully was leaving, then that meant...

"I asked Temperance to go with me," Sully said, bringing Booth back to reality very harshly.

"You what?" he asked, his voice a touch higher than he would have liked. Sully squinted at him, catching it.

"I asked her to come with me. I mean, why not? Take a year off...relax...it'll be good for her."

 _You have no idea what is good for her,_ Booth thought.

"Does she want to go?" he asked out loud.

"She seemed interested. She is going to let me know. I don't see why she'd say no. Parker is going to live with his father, so some time away might help her adjust to that. She's really crushed by it," Sully added. Booth stiffened. Did Sully not know that Booth was Parker's father? Why hadn't Brennan told him?

"I mean," Sully went on. "I understand he's the biological father and all, but Parker seems really attached to Tempe, and I kind of wish he'd just let the boy stay with her."

"And why does the father have to suffer? He didn't even know he had a son until recently," Booth said before thinking. "Why does he have to give up the chance of being the boy's father?" Sully peered at him.

"Have I struck a nerve?" Sully asked. "I didn't mean to."

"Parker," Booth started firmly. "Is my son."

The silence in the room after his words settled was so loud.

"Wow," Sully said finally. "I did not know that."

Why hadn't Parker told him either? Booth was feeling really confused. What was his son's plan by leaving that detail out? Or was it just an innocent oversight?

"I'm really sorry now," Sully went on. "I...I understand it is all a very confusing, complicated scenario. All I meant was that...well, I don't even really know what I was trying to mean..."

"I offered her to co-parent," Booth cut him off. "I told her I want her in Parker's life. I'm not taking him away to never be seen by her again. I still want her to be a mother to him."

"No, but to her, it's still someone she loves leaving her again," Sully said softly. "Whether it seems that way or not."

Booth felt hit in the chest then. Of course Brennan would be feeling abandoned again. How had he missed that?

"And what if she says no?" he challenged. "To the trip? That makes you the next person she cares about to leave her behind."

"It's her choice to come or not," Sully argued. "I'm not just up and leaving without a goodbye or anything. This is different."

"Just like Parker living with me instead of her is different," Booth countered. "He's not abandoning her either."

"Okay. We have established that neither of our situations is actual abandonment," Sully confirmed. "Then why is it making her feel that way?"

"That's a question for Bones," Booth said. And he would talk to her about it. He'd make her realize that Parker wasn't abandoning her. He'd tell her again that he wanted her to co-parent. He'd make it so clear that what was happening was not a repeat of her parents taking off and never coming back.

Sully just nodded and left without another word. After a few moments, Booth left to find Brennan.

...

Brennan was alone in her office when Booth found her. She could tell from his face that he knew about Sully leaving and asking her to go with him.

"Hey," he said. "Can I come in?"

"I suppose," she gestured. He came to stand in front of her desk, hands folding in front of him.

"Bones, you know Parker isn't abandoning you, right?"

The question caught her completely off guard. She had expected him to say something about her potentially leaving for a year. She blinked, looking at him. Booth knew he had shocked her, but he had decided to just dive right in instead of tiptoeing around it.

"I know that," she nodded.

"But you're feeling triggered," he commented.

"I guess I am, whatever that means," she replied. He'd been hanging out with a therapist too long.

"How many times can I say that I want you involved with Parker's life?" Booth asked. "How can I make this better? How can I make you feel better?"

"I...I don't know, Booth," Brennan shook her head. "I knew that signing up to be a foster parent meant that children were going to come and go. I knew not to get attached..."

"You thought Parker was an orphan, so you allowed yourself to get attached," Booth argued. "There was nothing wrong with that, and you can always be attached to him."

"And confuse him further? He already is convinced..." Brennan stopped abruptly, and Booth suddenly realized that Parker hadn't just been working on him about their relationship. He had been working on Brennan too. He took a step closer.

"Convinced what?" he asked.

"Nothing. I'm really fine, Booth," she insisted. "I'm happy you have a son, and he loves you. I'm happy this worked out."

"No, you're not," Booth said, echoing Parker. "I am me, but I'm not dumb."

"I don't know what that means," Brennan dismissed, wanting this conversation to be over.

"It means I know when you're lying," Booth pressed. He leaned down onto her desk in front of her. "Be honest with me, Bones, and tell me how much this is hurting you." He wanted to ask more about what Parker was trying to convince her of, but he knew better than to push on that subject right now. That was a conversation for another day.

"It'll be over soon, and then it won't hurt anymore," she said firmly.

Booth didn't want her to hurt at all, but he didn't know what to do. Then he realized she was probably going to go with Sully to run away from the hurt.

"Don't go," Booth blurted, referring to Sully now.

"Excuse me?"

"Don't go on that trip."

"Why not?"

"I just...I know you, okay? Your passion is solving crimes and helping people. If you go, you'll be calling me in a week and begging me to rescue you."

"You don't know that," Brennan argued.

"I think I do," he smirked.

She resisted smiling back at him. She knew he had a point, and it was the same point she had been thinking of all day. The other side of the coin, though, was that she wanted to be as far away from the hurt as possible in order to move on from it before coming back to her regular life.

"You have to go pick up Parker now," she pointed out. She wanted to be alone when she talked to Sully about her decision, so she had asked Booth to pick him up.

"All right," he nodded. "But this conversation isn't over." He pointed at her as he walked out.

She believed him.

...

"Dad?"

"Yea?"

They were in the car in traffic. Booth was thinking about Brennan and how she was talking to Sully very soon. Right now, actually.

"I wanna live with both you and Bones," Parker said. He knew he was supposed to move in with Booth, but he liked how things were. He didn't want them to change. It would also help him to get Bones and Booth together, like he planned. He knew that Booth would come over when he was at Brennan's and possibly stay overnight sometimes, and they'd all do stuff together when he was with Booth. After enough time, they would eventually realize they should all just live together as a happy family. It was going to work. He knew it.

"You do?" Booth asked, looking in the mirror at him.

"Uh huh. I love both of you, and I want to live with both of you," Parker said simply. "So make that happen."

Booth wanted to laugh. He made it sound so easy. Janet was a bit of a hard ball, though, when it came to some things. He'd have to convince her.

"That's what you really want?"

"It is."

"All right. I will talk to Bones and Janet about it," Booth promised. The solution he had been looking for to help Brennan feel better had finally arrived. It was a relief.

Parker watched as his father vibrated in his seat in the car a bit later. He knew something was wrong.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Huh? Yea," Booth answered quickly. "Just fine."

Parker had sensed something was going on with Brennan and Sully since she had been distant when she dropped him off for school that morning. Sully had been there the night before, and he had heard them talking about something. He hadn't quite heard well through the door, though, so he had missed what they were talking about, but it had sounded serious.

"Is Bones marrying Sully?" he asked, suddenly realizing. "Is that why you're upset?"

"I'm not upset!" Booth exclaimed, twisting to look back at him. "And no, she's not."

"But something is happening," Parker said.

"Nothing is happening," Booth lied. He was not going to be the one who told Parker that Brennan was potentially sailing away for a year.

"You're lying again."

Damn it. How did that kid know? Booth tapped his fingers on the wheel, knowing that Brennan was talking to Sully right now at the marina. What if she went? What if she actually left? He couldn't face life without her for an entire year, if she even came back at all.

No. He had to tell her. She had to know that he had feelings for her before she took off. And maybe that would be enough to make her stay.

He yanked the wheel around.

"I knew it," Parker said gleefully. "You're going to save her."

Booth didn't respond. His son was right.

...

Brennan stood there looking at Sully, who had a sad look on his face. As much as she had wrestled with everything all day, she knew what she had to do.

"I'm sorry," she said again.

"It's okay," he nodded. "I get it. I really do."

"If it was a different time..."

"Then we'd go together," he finished. "I know. Don't feel bad at all, okay?"

"I'll try," she said.

He came over to hug her tightly then.

"You are a very special woman, you know that?" he said in her ear. "Don't be afraid to be loved. It might just surprise you."

Brennan gave him a surprised look as he pulled back from the hug. Sully knew Booth had a thing for her, and he was pretty sure that co-parenting Booth's son would make Brennan eventually realize she liked Booth that way too. It was only a matter of time. He had done some thinking that day too, especially after his conversation with Booth.

"Be safe," she said, not knowing what else to say.

"I will," he nodded. Then he climbed into his boat and casted off. Brennan hugged herself as he started to sail away.

Running steps behind her made her turn to see Booth coming towards her. His SUV was parked in the lot, and Parker's face was pressed against the window.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

Booth knew he should answer with the truth, but he was so relieved that she had decided to stay on her own that now he suddenly felt afraid of telling her what he was feeling. It was too soon after breaking up with Sully he realized. There was a time and a place to share his feelings for her, but it wasn't right now.

"I'm just seeing if you're okay," he answered. Her eyes welled up with tears, and he didn't even hesitate to pull her into a hug.

"I'm okay," she answered, muffled by his shirt.

He just responded by smoothing her hair with his hand, holding her close.

Eventually, he'd tell her. Eventually.

"Come on," he urged. "We're going for pizza, and Parker and I really want to talk to you about how we want him to live with you and me still."

"What?" Brennan asked, looking up at him.

"He likes the way things are," Booth shrugged. "I have him a few days, then you have him for a few days. Why mess that up for him? He's happy, and if he's happy, then I'm happy."

"But...Janet..."

"Can stuff it," Booth finished for her. "We'll play along until she closes her file, and then we do what we feel is right."

Brennan felt a spark of happiness in her chest as they walked back to the SUV. Parker got out and ran towards them, hugging them both, and she felt immense relief over deciding to stay.

It had been the right decision.

* * *

 **Hang in there a bit longer, guys. The ending we all want is coming! And we're still not done with that letter Bones wrote, so don't worry ;)**


	16. Chapter 16

It was a week after Sully had left. Brennan had felt sad at first, but the more Booth was around with Parker, the more she realized that what she could have had with Sully did not compare to what she could have with Booth, if only she was brave enough to pursue it. For now she fully understood why she had stayed. It wasn't just for her job and Parker. It was for Booth.

"Ready or not," Booth was saying now with an exaggerated voice. "Here I come!"

Brennan smiled as he began hunting for Parker in her apartment. Parker's favorite game was hide and seek. She remembered it was her favorite as a child too, and then her parents hid, and she could never find them until her mother showed up dead and her father committed murder to save her and her brother's lives. It hadn't been such a favorite game since, but Parker was making her start to enjoy it again.

She could hear his giggling. The child just couldn't help himself and give away his hiding spot. She figured it was time for her to get involved and teach him the art of hiding and sneaking. She always did that, never stayed in one spot. It was why Russ could never find her unless she walked up behind him and scared him half to death. That part was even better than hiding.

"Found ya!" Booth called from down the hall. He came out carrying a giggling Parker under his arm like a football.

"Again!" he cried.

Booth gave a dramatic sigh, swinging Parker left and right as though he was looking for something.

"I dunno…" he said.

"Pleeeeaaaaase?" Parker begged.

"All right, but make it a bit harder for me to find you this time," Booth replied. He set the boy down, and Parker immediately ran off.

"There are only so many hiding places in this apartment," Brennan reasoned, looking at Booth.

"I know, but it's still fun for him," Booth shrugged. Then he grinned at her, and she smiled back, feeling something inside her chest that she couldn't fully describe.

...

Parker was in Brennan's closet. He had tucked himself in and buried himself under some of her clothes. Something was scratching at his cheek, though, so he reached to move it. A folded piece of paper came loose, and it was dark so he couldn't see it properly, so he tucked it into his pocket without really thinking. He could hear Booth outside the closet door, and he wanted to keep quiet.

"Is he UNDER THE BED?" Booth asked loudly. Parker stifled his giggles. His father was funny, and he loved it. He could hear Booth clomping his feet around the room, looking for him. "Is he IN THE CLOSET?" The door was pulled open, and Parker fought hard to not laugh. He felt hands push down on the pile of clothes he was hiding under, probing and poking.

"Hey, Bones," Booth called. "Either you've got a dead body in your closet, or our son has decided to hide there and play dead."

Parker's breath caught in his throat. Booth had said "our son." He wondered if Bones had heard him say that.

"Hmm," her voice said, in the room now. "I haven't murdered anyone that I know of. Have you checked for vitals?"

Parker felt Booth's fingers reach to press into his throat, and he couldn't keep it in any longer. He laughed.

"He's alive!" Booth cried after Parker whipped the clothes off to reveal himself.

"Was that a little harder?" he asked.

"A little," Booth nodded.

"We have to get to work," Brennan said. "Are you okay hanging out with Angela for a while?"

"Sure!" Parker beamed. He loved Angela. He ran to get his drawing supplies.

...

 _Our son._

Brennan had heard it. She had been surprised and then touched. Booth considered Parker to be her son too? Or was it just a slip of the tongue? Did he have feelings for her? She peeked at him sideways. They were driving and talking about their case. Father Donlan had rubbed her the wrong way, which she was also thinking about.

"I'm glad Janet was cooperative with us," Booth said after a moment of silence, looking at her and surprised to see her already looking at him. Was that a small blush on her cheeks?!

"We could have always just had Parker move in with you and still had him stay with me sometimes," Brennan pointed out, recovering. She could feel her cheeks were a little hot.

"I know, but it's official this way." Booth was more curious as to why she was blushing, but he didn't ask.

Booth looked back at the road and wondered if she had caught what he'd said earlier about Parker being their son. It had been an accidental slip, but he had meant it. Brennan was very much a mother to Parker, and he wanted her to know it. His fantasy was of them being a big, happy family together, but he knew it wasn't as easy as that.

"Do you think Father Donlan smacked children with rulers?" Zack asked from the back seat, making them both jump. They'd forgotten he was back there.

"Probably," Brennan answered.

"Let's not go back down that road," Booth said quickly. They'd already bickered about religion and how she had behaved in front of the priest. He spent the rest of the car ride trying to ignore Zack and Brennan's opinions on God and religion.

...

Angela had the pictures of the skull on her computer screen since she was watching Parker and wasn't at the Jeffersonian. She didn't want him to see it, but he had stuck his head around to look even after she'd told him not to. He had not freaked out, though. Instead, he had been intrigued. Typical boy. Now, he was sitting beside her trying to draw a face for it too. Angela peeked, and she noticed he wasn't doing too bad for his age and for having just learned the other techniques she'd taught him. It was their little secret as Angela did not want to be murdered for letting Parker see a human skull let alone draw from it.

"This is cool," Parker said for the tenth time. Angela smiled. She wished she had his enthusiasm. It was never easy drawing victims' faces and wondering who they were when they were alive and all the people left behind to grieve after they were gone.

"I have another secret," Parker told her after they were quiet for a while.

"What's that?" Angela asked.

Parker dug into his pant pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper.

"I think Bones likes my Dad."

"Excuse me?" she asked, surprised. She took it from him and read it.

 **"Dear Agent Booth, you are a confusing man. You are irrational and impulsive, superstitious and exasperating. You believe in ghosts and maybe even Santa Claus and because of you, I've started to see the universe differently. How is it possible that simply looking into your fine face gives me such joy? Why does it make me so happy that every time I try to sneak a peek at you, you're already looking at me. Like you, it makes no sense, and like you, it feels right. If I ever get out of here, I will find a time and place to tell you that you make my life messy and confusing and unfocused and irrational and wonderful. If I don't get out of here, there is something you need to know. There's no easy way to say it, so I'm just saying it. I think Parker might be your son. When I look at the two of you side by side, you share facial structure. I'm scared to tell you because I love Parker so much and want to be his mother more than anything, but if I can't be there for him, then you can be. Please get a DNA test. Even if you're not his father, please adopt him. Don't let him get lost in the system like I did. Bones."**

"Whoa!" she exclaimed, getting to her feet.

"I didn't understand it all," Parker explained. "But she's happy when she looks at him, right? And she likes when he's looking at her? Doesn't that mean she likes him?"

"You betcha it does," Angela confirmed. "Where did you find this?"

"I was playing hide and seek and hid in her closet. It poked me in the face when I hid under her clothes, so I went to move it. Then Dad was coming, so I put it in my pocket and was gonna put it back later. I promise."

"Then you read it," Angela said. He hung his head.

"I know it was wrong. It's a private letter. But what if I was meant to find it?" Parker tried. "What if this is what helps me get them together?"

"You want them together?" Angela asked.

"Yes! They're my parents. They like each other. Dad smells Bones's hair all the time, and I know from my friend that it means he likes her too."

Angela knew Brennan would probably be a bit upset with Parker for reading her personal letter, but the boy was so hopeful that Angela would help him that she couldn't deny him what he wanted. Hell, she wanted it too.

"All right," she said. "I will help you with your mission."

"Really?!"

"Yes. But, maybe put this back and don't mention it," she said, handing the letter back to him. "We don't want to upset Brennan."

"No," he said, shaking his head solemnly. "And I'll never read her private things again."

"Pinkie swear," Angela said, and he reached to hook his pinkie finger on hers. Maybe she was letting him off the hook by not telling Brennan so he could have a consequence for his action, but she figured Parker had enough tragedy in his life that this could slide. He was a good kid. And if Brennan didn't want her private thoughts read by someone else, she should hide them better and not leave them where they could be found. That was Angela's opinion anyway.

...

 _Religion exposed the underlying issue, and I will find out what that is and help you solve it in order to restore the balance of light and dark in the universe._

Brennan heard this in her mind over and over as they left Dr. Wyatt's office. Did he know she had feelings for Booth? Were they written on her face? And how could she have feelings when she just broke up with Sully? Well, to be fair, she hadn't dated Sully that long, and she already had the feelings for Booth before he came into the picture, and she stayed because of Booth, so...

"I think he really can help us," Booth said, interrupting her thoughts. He wondered what she was thinking. She seemed lost in thought, and he wanted to know.

"Hmm," was all she said in return. Or maybe, they'd have to help themselves. How, though, she had no idea.

...

After promising Parker they'd make a plan, Angela dropped him off at Ashley's (the babysitter) so she could go to work. Brennan needed her, and Ashley had been available, thankfully.

What surprised her was when Booth asked her to go with him to the church. It was like a sign. She could start her work on him, the weaker target. She knew Brennan was more headstrong, and if anyone was gonna make the move, it'd be Booth.

"Why am I here again?" she asked him.

"Bones and I are just having some issues," he answered.

"Did you two sleep together?"

"Angela!" he hissed. "You're worse than Bones. We. Are. In. A. Church. Don't talk about that stuff here!"

"Well, I think..."

"I'm trying to pray," he cut her off. And now he was trying not to think about sleeping with Brennan. Damn that Angela.

"Since Sully left, she's vulnerable," Angela went on anyway. "But I don't think she was ever into Sully."

"Shut up," he growled. But he was listening, attention perked. Brennan hadn't been into Sully?

"I think you know full well what I'm talking about," she said pointedly, looking at him. Booth caught some stares from the people around them, and he shot Angela a look back.

Thankfully, the service ended so Booth didn't have to answer her, which was a bonus cos he knew he would have caved and told her the truth, that he loved Brennan. He wanted to tell Brennan himself first, not Angela. They were approached by a boy named James, and they discovered that their victim was Father McCourt. Booth made sure he was on his phone to avoid anymore questions from Angela.

She wasn't stupid, though. She'd get him later.

...

When Angela picked Parker up from Ashley's to feed him lunch and watch him while Ashley ran for an appointment.

"I have a plan!" he cried as they entered Brennan's apartment.

"What's that?" she asked a bit absently. Hodgins had thrown her a curveball by asking her to move in with him after she'd gotten back with Booth from church.

"What if we did a dinner date?" Parker asked. "With candles and stuff? Here?"

"Here? Not in a fancy restaurant?"

"It's private here," Parker reasoned. "They'd be alone and more likely to talk about things."

"I like how you think," Angela smiled. She started making him a grilled cheese while he sat on the stool and kept talking.

"What is the best song to play in the background?" he asked.

"Hmm. I'll have to think about that one," she replied. Parker peered at her then.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "You look...scared."

"Do I?" she asked. She felt scared. Moving in with Hodgins was a big step. Not having her own space was a scary thought. But not moving in with him was also a scary thought.

"Is it Hodgins?" Parker asked. "Did he do something bad?"

"No, no. He asked me to move in with him."

"And you don't want to?"

"I...I don't know," Angela admitted. She couldn't believe she was talking to a child about this.

"He's nice," Parker encouraged.

"He's very nice. I just worry that if we go too fast, it might ruin things between him and I."

Parker cocked his head, looking at her. She felt a little unnerved at his stare. It was like he could see into her soul.

"I think if you're scared, you should talk to Hodgins about it," Parker said finally. "If anyone could make you feel better about it, wouldn't it be him?"

Angela stared at him, almost burning his grilled cheese until she realized she was cooking and took it out of the pan, sliding it on a plate over to him. He chewed on it happily while Angela kept thinking about what he'd said.

Before he went back to Ashley's, he put the note back where he'd found it in Brennan's closet.

...

When the case was over, and Dr. Wyatt had given them his assessment of the two of them, Brennan didn't know what to think. She had been certain he would have told them something different, especially after his comment about her wanting to be one with Booth. Instead, he told them they both feel out of place in each other's domain, that Brennan didn't want to lead a purposeless life by sailing around the world, and that Booth had an irrational fear of controlling someone else's destiny (i.e. him being the reason she stayed behind, which it was, but she didn't say that out loud).

She wasn't sure what she wanted Dr. Wyatt to tell them. Did she want him to tell them that they had hidden feelings for each other? That they were meant to be together? It was ridiculous, and it made her hate psychology even more.

She found Angela and Parker watching a movie. Booth came shortly after to take Parker out for dinner and said he'd pick her up when she was done with Angela, who had told Brennan about Hodgins asking her to move in with him and her confusion about it, so that was why she stayed behind. She had a good idea of how to help her friend.

...

Angela was left sitting across from Dr. Wyatt. He was looking at her, a twinkle in his eye. He'd just given her the answer to her problem, and it was reasonable enough. Take back some of her clothes and wait until Hodgins's stuff took up room in her closet. Then they'd be equal, and she'd be ready.

"All right, Monty Python," she said. "Maybe you can figure me out, but you're full of it about Brennan and Booth, and you know it."

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean," he said. He was still smiling, though.

"Brennan stayed because she didn't want to leave Booth, not because she needs a purpose."

"You're projecting..." he started.

"And you said what you said solely to be on the side of the FBI and get them working together properly again," she cut him off.

"Well, I admire your romanticism, but as Bard says, 'lovers and madmen have such seething brains, such shaking fantasies, that apprehend more than cool reason ever comprehends.'"

"Yes, but he also says that 'journeys end in lovers meeting, every wise man's son doth know,'" she said, looking at Wyatt.

"You're good," he smiled. "You are very good."

"You betcha, Monty," Angela smiled back. They watched Brennan get into the car with Booth, and Parker was in the back, leaning forward to talk to them between the front seats.

They belonged together. They were a family. And gosh darn it, she was gonna help that little boy make his dream come true and give him a family.

* * *

 **Next chapter will be the date ;) Stay tuned!**


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